Echo Of A Diary
by JustAnotherSlytherinFangirl
Summary: At the end of CoS instead of facing a basilisk and stabbing the diary, Harry accidentally brings the horcrux in the diary to life. But things aren't what they seem, and when Dumbledore insists on giving Tom a second chance Harry and the Weasleys will just have to play along. Goes through PoA.
1. Chapter 1: The Return of Tom Riddle

Harry was sat in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room, but didn't feel as if it was providing any warmth. It had been only a few hours since the trio had come across Ginny while she was painting a message on the wall outside the second-floor girls toilet. That Ginny had been the one petrifying students all year had shocked all of them. But when Ron had stepped forward to ask her what she was doing, she had started having some kind of seizure. They took her to the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey had interrogated them and fussed over Ginny's quickly paling form. They'd had no idea what had happened though. At some point Dumbledore had been called, along with Ginny's parents, and McGonagall as she was her Head of House. The ward had turned into Grand Central station by the time McGonagall had ushered the trio out of the ward and ordered them to go to bed.

None of them had though. They'd entered the common room pale-faced and worried looking. It didn't take long for everyone to realize something was very wrong. Hermione told them the tale is a shaky voice, and in no time the Gryffindor Common Room had gone from its usual rambunctious activity, to anxiety ridden near-silence. Everyone was waiting on news of Ginny Weasley, but things didn't look hopeful. There were anxious mutterings from some, while others sat in a daze. Some were in tears. Percy looked shell shocked and even the twins had nothing to say to cheer anyone up. Hermione was trying to comfort Ron, but ultimately failing. Harry sat next to them in silence, paying no attention to the pair. He was caught up in thoughts over what he'd overheard as they were herded out of the ward.

"I am afraid that her only chance at survival rests in the diary giving up its hold on her. But it will only release her if it is given an offering of blood, and..." Had come Dumbledore's grave voice.

Hermione finally gave up on reassuring Ron, as he didn't appear able to take in a word of what she was saying, and instead turned to Harry to whom she said quietly, "You've not gone deaf have you?"

Harry looked up and shook his head.

"Good. You heard what I heard right? When we were leaving the hospital wing?"

Harry nodded.

Hermione started to wring her hands, "I think I know the diary Professor Dumbledore was talking about. I've seen Ginny writing in it, but I'd no idea it was cursed. But it didn't seem like he had any other ideas on how to save her."

"Why would he? He already knows how to." Harry asked.

"Oh Harry, Dumbledore isn't going to let anyone put their blood on a cursed object, who knows what the repercussions could be."

"But Ginny will die otherwise!" He said, his voice rising in volume.

Hermione shushed him, leaning in closer, "Harry, the diary could already kill Ginny. It's clearly dangerous, there's no way of knowing if it would harm the one whose blood is offered. It could make things worse."

Harry didn't know how to reply to that. He hadn't considered that Dumbledore wasn't going to go ahead with the blood offering he'd mentioned. He could hardly believe it. Whatever the consequences might be, he couldn't let Ginny die.

Apparently this conclusion had shown on his face as Hermione had looked slightly alarmed, "You better not be considering going to the Hospital Wing. Look Harry, I'm sure Dumbledore will find some other way to save Ginny, there's no need to put your life on the line."

Harry nodded and said quite calmly, "Of course Hermione, I wasn't even going to suggest such a thing."

Hermione looked at him suspiciously but leaned back in her seat. "Well, okay. Good then." She turned back around to Ron and attempted once more to comfort him, but she kept casting side-glances at Harry.

Harry tried not to pay her any attention, he had to make it seem like he really had no intentions of doing anything. So he waited a while. Every minute seemed much too long. He didn't even know how long Ginny had. Eventually, he decided he'd waited long enough and excused himself saying that he was going to bed. Hermione watched him as walked to the staircase but she couldn't see him come back down as he'd grabbed his invisibility cloak.

Harry walked to the Hospital Wing in silence. It was dark when he arrived, and empty. The light was on behind Madam Pomfrey's closed office door, and Harry could hear the muffled voices of the adults coming from underneath it. He made it to Ginny's abandoned bed and found the diary Hermione had spoke about on the bedside table. It didn't look like much. Only a plain black book. Harry would've had a hard time comprehending how the diary was killing Ginny if he didn't already know it was cursed.

Harry used a cutting curse to slice open his palm. He hesitated for a moment, Hermione's words ringing in his head, ' _there is no way of knowing if it would harm the one whose blood is offered,'_ Harry shook his head to clear it. There was no way he was going to let Ginny die, no matter the risks. So he held his hand over the diary and let a few drops fall onto the cover. He immediately understood Hermione's worry as it felt as if something had torn him open from the inside. He fell to the floor in agony, completely unaware of anything except pain.

When the pain dulled, the first thing he noticed was a pair of hands holding him up. He was grateful to this, as he didn't think his legs could support his weight anymore. He groaned as he tried to stand up, noticing the slackened grip the person had on him. He opened his eyes to see who was holding him, and gasped. Surrounding him in the now brightly ward were all the adults previously in Madam Pomfrey's office. He took no notice of this though, as at his feet was the naked form of a boy who had definitely not been there before.

"Harry, what have you done?" Came Dumbledore's grave voice. But he was too stunned to reply.

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A/N: So that's Chapter 1. This is my first fanfiction, so reviews would be greatly appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2: Shocking News

"Harry, what have you done?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry tried to answer, but only managed to open and close his mouth a few times.

Now that Harry was steady on his feet, he felt Madam Pomfrey release her hold on him, and watched as she darted forward to Tom Riddle's prone form, lying on the floor. She conjured a blanket and covered him, before she started to cast several diagnostic spells.

Harry was turned around by Dumbledore's hand on his shoulder, who repeated his question once more, his voice stern. Harry looked Dumbledore right in the eyes, and noticed that they lacked their usual merry twinkle. Indeed, Dumbledore looked fiercer than Harry had ever seen the man. Harry gulped and answered nervously, "Well... I overhead as I was leaving the hospital wing, what you said about a blood offering and then Hermione was saying how you didn't have any other way to save her and I couldn't just let her die! So I-"

"You overheard the part about the blood offering? I don't suppose you heard what I said next?" Dumbledore said.

"Uh, no sir." Harry said quietly.

Dumbledore let out a sigh and let go of Harry's shoulder. "Harry, what do you know of Tom Riddle."

Taken aback, Harry replied, "Uh, who sir?"

Harry looked at the adults around him in confusion. Dumbledore was looking particularly grave, and dare Harry say it, regretful. McGonagall along with Mr and Mrs Weasley however seemed as shocked and confused as Harry was. Indeed it was at that moment that McGonagall spoke up, "I'm sorry Dumbledore but what does this have to do with the situation. And who is the boy?" She said in her strict, no nonsense tone.

"Tom Riddle was the owner of the diary, and the one who cursed it." Dumbledore said. Mr and Mrs Weasley gasped, and McGonagall's eyes widened. "He went to school here 50 years ago, and he was the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets in 1943. The events around the Chambers closing are quite confusing, I will admit. But it seems quite clear to me now that Tom Riddle, having decided to stop setting the monster on the students of Hogwarts, cursed this diary to continue his work at a later date."

Harry had to admit that the diary's involvement in the happenings of that year made a bit more sense now. But then, Riddle's involvement in it didn't.

"Sir, why would he have decided to stop killing students, but then leave behind a diary to do what he just decided to stop doing?"

"Yes, that seems like a execellent question, Mr Potter." McGonagall remarked, "How can you know of this Riddle's involvement in the opening the first time? And you have still yet to explain what the history has to do with the current situation."

"Ah, but you see Minerva, the young boy before you is Tom Riddle." Dumbledore said to his captive audience, "And I am sure of Riddle's involvement because I know of his heritage and that he was Slytherin's heir. Although I found this out some time later, well after he shed his real name and started to be called Lord Voldemort."

Harry paled, and stared at the form of Tom Riddle on the ground. He seemed somewhat more sinister now.

"Albus, surely you aren't serious?" McGonagall asked in a state of shock. "How could he possibly be Voldemort? The boy is no more than 16!"

"He cursed the diary when he was 16. The diary has only the memory of Tom Riddle at 16. So when Harry gave it his blood, it created a body for Tom Riddle's 16 year old self." Dumbledore explained.

Harry turned back around to stare in alarm at Dumbledore, "What- what do you mean, sir? It created a body out of my blood?"

"The diary was infused with dark magic. It held Tom Riddle's memories, his magic, his very essence. But in a diary it is not alive. The diary was trying to gain life by leeching off of Miss Weasley's, the reason a blood offering worked to save her life, was because it allowed the diary to create itself a new body, thus there was no need for Miss Weasley anymore."

Harry had almost forgotten about Ginny in all the commotion, he turned around again and saw that Ginny did appear to be getting her colour back. Mrs Weasley also appeared to be hovering rather worriedly over her.

"My Ginny was being cursed by Voldemort? But how, how could this be possible? Where would she even get such a thing? How could no one have noticed?" Mrs Weasley asked in consternation.

Harry thought those were fair questions. But now that he thought about it, Ginny had been quite a loner all year, and from what Ron said that wasn't usual for her. How long had she been under the influence of the diary?

"I'm afraid I don't know how your daughter obtained the diary Molly." Dumbledore said, his expression one of genuine regret, "But the diary most certainly belonged to Tom Riddle. I taught him when he was schooled here and I would recognize him anywhere." Dumbledore turned to eye Tom Riddle, whom Madam Pomfrey had by this point moved to the bed next to Ginny's.

Now that Harry looked closely, Madam Pomfrey seemed quite alarmed by something. It appeared that Harry wasn't the only one who noticed as McGonagall soon asked, "What's the matter, Poppy?"

Madam Pomfrey startled and turned around rather abruptly. She appeared as if she'd forgotten there was other people there. "This boy, he's suffered at the hands of very dark wizard. I can tell that much, but not a lot more." She said in a hurried voice, clearly paying no attention to the stunned faces around her she continued, "You said that the diary would create a body that it remembered having? Would it have made it precisely as it last remembered?"

Dumbledore looked at the medi-witch worriedly, "What do you mean by suffered, Poppy?" He asked, ignoring her question.

"Well he's clearly dueled someone before appearing here. He shows signs of having been cursed. By very dark magic at that. Would this duel have taken place before his magic was confined to the diary? Or would it be from the effects of being borne of a cursed artifact?" She asked, once more sounding hurried.

Dumbledore seemed dumbfounded, "I should say it would have originated from a curse before being placed in the diary," Dumbledore said slowly, at which Madam Pomfrey emitted a small shriek before turning back to the boy on the bed, "But what sort of timeframe? Are you suggesting that the diary cursed as a result of this duel?"

"Well, yes that seems most likely, as some of the curses seem fresh, the ones that effect him physically at least as they wouldn't have taken affect until he had a body again, however those on his magic have already taken their toll, I can only assume those are from spending so long in a cursed diary." She said over her shoulder, appearing not to be paying much attention to what she saying, completely focused on her spellcasting and in pouring countless potions down Riddle's throat.

"But then, he didn't curse the diary himself? It wasn't his magic..." Dumbledore mumbled to himself, trailing off.

Harry didn't think it was possible, but he getting even more confused as the conversation went on. Nothing anyone was saying was making sense. How did dark magic use blood to create an entire body? Why would dark magic even have a desire to do that? And how was the boy in the bed supposed to be Voldemort? This last one, baffled him the most. It was not however the question that came out of his mouth?

"Excuse me? Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked, making himself known once more. Dumbledore turned to him as if he had forgotten he was the room. McGonagall looked as if she certainly had, and appeared to want to drag him back to his common room, but Dumbledore interrupted before she could, "Yes, Harry?"

"If what you say is true, and that boy is Voldemort, or will become Voldemort, why was he in a diary? And why is he being tended to in a hospital bed?" He asked, truly confused at the turn of events. At what point had Madam Pomfrey even put him on the bed? She seemed to be following the conversation if her previous questions showed anything, though Harry didn't see how she could be, so why was she healing him?

"Harry, I had originally thought that Tom Riddle had cursed the diary. But it would seem things are more complicated than that. You see it was not Tom Riddle who cursed the diary, but likely his dueling opponent. If this Riddle is the age I think he is, then he hasn't yet become entrenched in the Dark Arts. He is still a child, and only a school-aged boy, much like yourself."

Harry stared at Dumbledore is bemusement. But Mrs Weasley put words together before he managed to, "What do you mean before he became entrenched in the Dark Arts? No matter who cursed the diary it was his magic inside it yes? It was his magic that was killing my Ginny?"

"Not necessarily, Molly. You see while it was Tom Riddle's magic and essence trapped within the diary, it would be the one who cursed it, who made the diary a weapon. Tom Riddle being inside wouldn't have caused harm to your daughter, merely made for an odd choice of diary. No it is the curse of the one who put him in there, that was stripping your daughter of her soul. The curse was no doubt designed to find a host, and to leech from them when it did. But that is the actions of the caster, not of Riddle."

The Mr Weasley spoke up for the first time, "Are you saying Dumbledore, that this boy isn't at fault for what happened to Ginny? Despite your claim that he's a past version of Voldemort."

"Indeed Arthur. You see Voldemort became what he is through a series of bad decisions. Ones he had not yet made when he was 16. So it would be most unjust to blame this Tom Riddle for the actions of his other self, wouldn't you agree Harry?" Dumbledore asked, turning his now twinkling eyes on Harry. At what point had he regained his twinkle?

"I- I don't know, sir. I guess not." Harry said uneasily, still casting glances at the unconscious Tom Riddle, a.k.a future Lord Voldemort currently lying in the hospital bed.

"Quite. Well, Minerva I believe Harry needs to get to bed, as it is way past curfew." He said.

McGonagall quickly agreed and started ushering Harry out of the ward. Harry cast a few last glances over his shoulder as the group huddled around the two beds at the end of the ward.

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A/N: So that's chapter 2! There was a lot of dialogue and information in this chapter but I hope it made sense. The diary in this AU is a bit different from the diary in canon, due to its origins, also why Tom at the moment has been cursed with dark magic. Please review :-)


	3. Chapter 3: Tom Riddle Awakes

He blinked blearily, taking in the stark white walls of the Hogwarts hospital wing. He leaned up onto his elbows, blinking at the bright sunlight filtering through the windows.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Came a cheerful voice.

Tom looked over and saw a medi-witch come bustling towards him. He sat up properly, confused at the sight of the unfamiliar witch.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Madam Pomfrey." The blonde witch replied, once she reached his bedside, "I'm the school nurse currently." She continued whilst casting some spells Tom recognized as diagnostic spells.

"What happened to Miss Pennyfeather? Is she ill?" Tom asked.

He wasn't sure what a school nurse would do when she got sick, but he presumed they would get some time off or something.

"Not quite." She said in a gentle voice, which Tom had learned was the voice people used when they didn't want to tell you bad news.

This school nurse apparently didn't have bad news, but no news. Or at least none she was sharing as she went on casting her spells in silence. She gave him some potions he promptly swallowed and did some tests making little noises of pleasure or worry.

Tom, uneasy in the silence, decided to try once more, "How long have I been asleep, that they got a new school nurse." He asked, assuming that when she had said Miss Pennyfeather wasn't exactly ill, that she had left for some other reason.

"I'm not sure I'm the one who answer that," She said sounding distinctly uncomfortable, "I think that's a conversation you should have with the Headmaster."

Now Tom was truly confused, "The headmaster? Why would Dippet be a better person to tell me how long I've been in the hospital than the school nurse, who I might mention, hasn't yet told me why I'm in here in the first place?" He inquired uneasily.

He could tell something was wrong. He couldn't even remember what had occurred to land him in the hospital wing. Let alone why there was a new nurse, and apparently why students now took up their medical issues with the headmaster.

"Dippet? Oh, no, uh, Headmaster Dumbledore actually." She said a note of surprise, and then wariness in her tone.

"Dumbledore?" Tom asked, truly shocked now, "Why would Dumbledore be Headmaster? What happened to Dippet? I can't possibly have been asleep that long." He insisted.

"Like I said, it's really not my place to explain. Dumbledore really understands what happened much better than I do." She said, before trying to get back to her check-up.

Tom though, wasn't feeling so cooperative anymore and shrunk back from her wand tip.

What the hell was going on? Dumbledore? Headmaster? That didn't even remotely make sense.

He looked around the ward, and noticed why he'd felt so off-balance since waking up. "Where's Noelle?" He asked.

Tom studied the nurse's reaction. The uneasiness left her expression, replaced with confusion. "I'm sorry, who?" She asked, genuinely lost.

At this point Tom knew that something was seriously wrong. Fear sparked in his stomach, and his throat closed up. His heart started beating way too hard and he could practically feel the adrenaline flowing through his veins. He shot out of bed, and made to summon his robes, but realized he didn't have his wand on him. This on an ordinary day would've freaked him out, he couldn't remember a time he hadn't had his wand since he'd bought it when he was 11, however he currently had bigger problems, so he made to leave the hospital wing in only the patient smock he was wearing.

The nurse, Madam Pomfrey, stepped in his way, "Where do you think you're going? You're ill, you shouldn't be out of bed, I haven't finished with your check-up." She said in honest surprise.

He could tell that she had no idea what had suddenly set him off, but there was no way he was going to explain. He had to find Noelle. And he had to find her now. It didn't bode well that she wasn't here with him, and it was even worse the nurse had never even heard of her. Tom made to walk around the nurse, but she stepped into his path again.

"Mr Riddle, I'm afraid I can't let you leave just yet." She insisted, a fierce look appearing on her face.

Tom would've been appropriately contrite if he wasn't so terrified at the moment. "I don't have the time to explain. I need to find Noelle."

He saw comprehension dawn on her face, "You're scared." She stated in a small voice, as if only just realizing this fact.

Tom felt himself blush, he didn't like being that easy to read but when Noelle was involved, he often forgot himself.

"Tom, please sit down, I'm sure this... Noelle is fine. Things are bit more complicated than you realize just now, but you can't just go running about the castle on a wild goose chase." She said in a mollifying voice.

Tom took a step back, and stared at her in incomprehension. The mediwitch sighed, and gestured back to the bed gently with a defeated look on her face. Tom could see that he had gotten through to her somehow, and backtracked to the bed. The witch pulled up a chair and sat down in front of him.

"Tom, what is date?" She asked.

Tom blinked at her in shock. That wasn't what he'd been expecting.

"18th of June, 1943." He answered clearly.

"Well you see, that's just it. It's the 31st of May, 1993." She said carefully.

"'93?" He asked slowly.

"Yes. You haven't been asleep really. Your condition had you unconscious, hence you were left in my care. I could tell that you had been cursed with dark magic, but the circumstances around your... arrival in 1993 would be better explained by Dumbledore. As it isn't actually medical, and not my area of expertise you see." She said, looking at him as if judging whether he was following along, Tom wasn't sure what she saw in his face, but she seemed satisified and continued, "So I don't know this Noelle you talk of, but if she was in Hogwarts in 1943 she isn't now. I haven't heard of her myself, but I'm sure she's out there somewhere. But you see, searching the castle won't help you find this Noelle."

Tom put on his expressionless mask. He had already allowed this Madam Pomfrey to see his fear, there was no reason to let her see anything else.

He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down his racing heart. He was in 1993. He had no idea how. But he had gotten to 1993. And Noelle wasn't here. Tom wasn't sure how he felt about this, but he definitely couldn't let it show on his face.

"Have you finished your check-up? I would like to speak with Headmaster Dumbledore if you are." Tom asked calmly.

The medi-witch in front of him seemed concerned, but nevertheless nodded her consent, standing up and vanishing her chair. She gestured to the door with platitudes about how that would be fine, to go ahead, just make sure you come back etc. Tom didn't really listen just stood up and made for the door, before he looked at his attire and turned back to the witch raising an eyebrow. Madam Pomfrey clearly got the message and conjured a set of plain robes for him before she disappeared into what Tom presumed was her office. He changed and headed for the door. Tom's thoughts were muddled but he knew one thing, he had to speak with Dumbledore, he'd know where Noelle is.


	4. Chapter 4:In Dumbledore's Office

Dumbledore sat in his office, elbows on the table, and head resting on his steepled fingers. He had much to think about. It had been three days since Tom Riddle had appeared out of the cursed diary, and he was still asleep in the hospital wing, recovering from whatever ordeal he had faced in 1943. Dumbledore had pondered over this greatly, in the time between being reinstated as Headmaster, and dealing with a very infuriated board of governors. He had no quandary over whom Tom Riddle had been dueling with, for it was surely Noelle Green, for no other student at Hogwarts had ever been so skilled at dark magic. Indeed Dumbledore had originally thought that whilst Tom had cursed the diary, Noelle must have taught him the curse, but that she had instead been dueling him at the time, and had cast it herself... well it would appear that Dumbledore had made a few errors of judgement.

He had assumed that Tom Riddle had been at fault for the opening of the Chamber, and had closed it because of the threats of foreclosure. But this duel must have taken place at the same time, and Dumbledore was sure the two incidents were connected. For this duel couldn't have happened in their sixth year, the two had already stopped speaking with one another, but in the spring. He had indeed asked Poppy to check the boys age, and he was 16 as Dumbledore had guessed. No, for Noelle and Tom to have dueled, and to have cast such magic at each other, this must've been when they broke up at the end of 5th year. But for the life of him, Dumbledore couldn't figure out what they were dueling over.

He was interrupted from his musings when a knock sounded at the door. When Dumbledore consented, the door opened to reveal Tom Riddle on the other side. It appeared as if he had finally awoken. Dumbledore sat up straight and nodded towards the chair in front of his desk, where Tom Riddle promptly sat down. Dumbledore studied the boy in front of him, he was wearing a typical pureblood mask and yet was looking more unkempt than Dumbledore had ever seen him look before. If memory served him, and it usually did, Tom Riddle never allowed others to see him at less than his best. He could only surmise that this Tom Riddle had been in quite a hurry.

"I was told you'd be able to explain how I came to be here, sir?" Tom Riddle asked, sounding utterly unfazed.

"I no doubt could answer better than our school nurse, however there a few inconsistencies you might be able to clarify." Dumbledore said.

Tom Riddle raised his eyebrows in inquiry so Dumbledore continued, "What is the last thing you remember before you woke up in the hospital wing?"

"I'm not sure, sir, it's all a bit of a blur." Tom said after a moment.

Dumbledore had expected nothing less, indeed an honest answer would've shocked him. "Do try and think back." He urged.

The two sat in an analytical silence for a moment, before Tom replied, "I remember that I was arguing with Noelle. Tempers may have flared, but I don't recall either of us casting spells that would send one 50 years into the future."

Vague as to be expected. Dumbledore had no doubts that Tom already knew he'd figured out a duel had taken place. After all the boy had been laden in the hospital wing from a variety of dark curses, so to say as much revealed nothing.

"The spell did not send you anywhere in time. It merely locked your consciousness in an object, a diary to be exact, where you remained for 50 years until you were released by the actions of one of our current students. I was more interested in how you ended up in this diary though, I don't suppose you recall that spell?" Dumbledore clarified.

"No sir, I don't. I didn't realize magic could do that." Tom answered carefully.

Dumbledore could see that the boy was thinking through a lot of things, but the mask remained in place hiding Tom's emotions.

Dumbledore accepted his word though, that he didn't know of the actual spell involved. However he must have known something, of what Noelle was capable of.

"You say a student released me... How?" He asked, looking genuinely perplexed.

"He is a second-year, he'd overheard something I had said regarding a curse the diary had put on a student. He took it upon himself to break the curse by offering his blood to the diary. Upon doing so, he fell down in agonizing pain and when a couple members of staff along with myself heard his screams we came out to find you, lying on the floor."

"A second-year? Simply offered his blood to a cursed object? I don't suppose this was a Gryffindor?" He asked, the last word spoken in derision.

"Why indeed he is. Although that is hardly the base of his identity, his name is Harry." Dumbledore said.

Tom Riddle let out a sigh with his eyes closed, as that was such a Dumbledore thing to say, and stared at Dumbledore for a while, before asking what he really wanted to know, "And Noelle? I don't suppose she was confined to a diary all this time?"

"No Tom, only you." Dumbledore answered, scanning the boy's face to see how he reacted to his given name, he didn't recoil as his other self had become prone to do, "I don't suppose you will tell me why Miss Green and yourself decided to duel?"

"It has slipped my mind at the moment. As I'm sure Noelle's current location has slipped yours." Tom coldly replied.

Dumbledore frowned, "No one has seen Noelle Green since she graduated in 1945. Indeed no one appears to remember the frankly brilliant girl who once came to Hogwarts all those years ago." Dumbledore turned nostalgic as he continued, leaning back in his chair, "If I am to be honest, I was likely the last to see her, or at least to see and recognize her for who she is. But a month after her graduation. I fear that she either died or has left for greener pastures." As he finished, Dumbledore studied Tom's reaction. He didn't seem at all fearful of the first option, indeed he had barely concealed a snort of derision. How... interesting.

All of Dumbledore's deductions of the boy across from him left him feeling quite conflicted. This Tom Riddle was not dark, that much was obvious, but he was distant and distrusting. Noelle had influenced him already but Dumbledore suspected, not past the point of no return. Indeed this conversation had turned out as well as Dumbledore could have expected. He had hope that this Tom Riddle, now without the influence of Noelle Green, would turn out much better than his counterpart.

"However perhaps the past should be left where it is," Dumbledore said straightening, "How you ended up in the diary is of little consequence now, nor is Noelle's disappearance. What happened happened, and here you are. I feel looking towards the future would be a much more productive use of our time, wouldn't you agree?" He finished, looking at Tom over his half-moon glasses. After a beat of silence Tom did agree and Dumbledore continued with a smile, "Well then, best figure out how you're to be reintroduced to the Wizarding World."

"Transfer students aren't completely unheard of are they?" Tom inquired.

"No, they aren't."

"But I suppose I can't go back to St. Wool's in the summer?"

"No, I don't suppose you can. It is nearly the end of term, so arrangements will have to be made for a place to stay this summer. But you can start again at Hogwarts in September with the other 5th years-"

"I already completed 5th year. Shouldn't I be with the 6th years?" Tom interjected.

"Yes but the curriculum has changed in the last 50 years. I believe repeating your O.W.L year would be in your interests, the content of the O.W.L.s is rather different, and for you to pass them in an up-to-date record of your examinations, you may want to attend 5th year in the present time. I'm afraid you're actually behind the current curriculum."

If the look on Tom Riddles face was anything to go by, he did not appreciate that sentiment. Indeed Dumbledore remembered how he had prided himself on being ahead of all of his fellow classmates.

"I see, so what am I to do for the remainder of term? There is still a month to go is there not?"

"Indeed. However I believe Madam Pomfrey will require you to stay in the hospital wing for the most part, so it is unlikely anyone will see you and question your presence. Most of the students will be meeting you next year."

"Most?" Tom asked.

"Harry Potter, the one who gave you his blood has been visiting your bedside often. It is a wonder you woke up when he wasn't there." Dumbledore clarified with a small laugh, "Now I do believe that if I keep you any longer Madam Pomfrey will have my head. Best you return to the Hospital wing Mr Riddle."

Tom nodded his consent and made to leave. Neither mentioning, but both thinking of, Noelle Green.

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A/N: Sorry no Harry, as for interactions between Tom and Harry, that will be in the next chapter I promise.


	5. Chapter 5: Not A Dark Wizard (Kinda)

It had been three days since Harry had accidentally brought a younger Voldemort to life, and he still wasn't sure how he felt about it. He had gone back to his dormitory that night, but hadn't slept a wink. When the morning came and he had to tell Ron and Hermione what he had done, Hermione had been furious that he had done something so reckless and stupid that could've gotten him killed, and Ron seemed horrified, losing the colour he'd just gained at the news of his sister's recovery. Despite the confusion Harry felt though, he kept going back to visit Riddle. He had to admit that the younger version looked nothing like the one he'd seen out the back of Quirrell's head in his first year. But he was still Voldemort wasn't he? Ron and Hermione seemed to think so, but he couldn't stop thinking about what Dumbledore had said about unfairly judging him. His thoughts hadn't straightened themselves out yet, three days later, so he found himself once again heading for the hospital wing.

Hermione joined him this morning, as she had finally given into her curiosity when Harry had said he looked nothing like his older self. The two were making there way to the Hospital wing in silence, passing Dumbledore's office when the Gryffin jumped out of the way and someone came out. Harry gasped at the sight of Tom Riddle, awake and moving. The teen stopped at the sight of them and seemed unsure of what he was supposed to do. The three remained like that for a moment, staring at each other, until Hermione broke the silence, "Are you Tom Riddle then?"

Harry turned at the sound of her voice, to see her looking somewhat conflicted at the sight of who she assumed to be Riddle based on Harry's descriptions of him. She looked as if she was trying not to look at him the way she looked at Lockhart, with adoration, while also looking a bit horrified. It wasn't a good look on her. Turning back to the boy, he noticed he seemed quite confused as well.

"I am." He said, then with a spark of realization in his eyes he turned to Harry. "Are you Harry then?"

Harry nodded, unsure of what to say. He figured he should say something so he said, "Uh, you're awake then?"

Brilliant. Truly brilliant Harry. Indeed Riddle seemed to think so too, if the completely unimpressed expression on his face was anything to go by.

"I just mean, when did you wake up? Madam Pomfrey seemed to think you'd be asleep for longer." Harry said.

Tom expression became blank again, using one of those masks Slytherins seemed so fond of. "Woke up just an hour ago. I've always been a fast healer." Harry nodded but Riddle didn't seem to notice as he'd turned to Hermione, "So who might you be? A friend of his I presume?"

"Yes. I'm Hermione Granger."

"Pleasure to meet you then Miss Granger-" He seemed about to say something else but was interrupted by Hermione's sudden snort. He narrowed his eyes in her direction. "Did I say something amusing?"

Hermione was turning a pale sort of red in what seemed a combination of humiliation and fear. She really seemed quite unsure how to react to Riddle. Harry sympathized with her, as he was quite unsure himself.

"Well, you said it's a pleasure, but I'm muggleborn." She said this last bit raising her chin in defiance.

Riddle merely raised an eyebrow, looking confused. "Alright. Is it customary these days to introduce yourself with your blood status?"

Harry felt quite confused himself. "You don't care?" He asked.

"Should I?"

Harry felt his eyebrows rise on his forehead. Looking to Hermione she seemed just as shocked as he. Riddle on the other hand just looked as though he thought the two of them were two screws short of a set.

"I feel I'm missing something." He announced in a clear voice, obviously wanting some sort of explanation.

"Well, you are kind of well-known, or at least your older self is, for being a... well extreme blood purist." Harry answered, only getting more uncomfortable and confused the more Riddle appeared to have no idea what he was talking about.

"My older self?"

"Uh, yeah, you know the part that didn't get stuck in a diary I guess. He kind of became a famous dark wizard." Harry stated as if this was obvious. "Wait, no one told you?" He asked in shock.

Riddle now pale-faced just shook his head mutely. Then without saying a word, abruptly turned on his heel and fled from the corridor. Harry hurried after him, all the way to the school grounds. Only once he was outside did he notice that Hermione hadn't followed them.

Harry saw Riddle had gone straight to the lake and was currently just standing next to it staring into the water. He slowly approached him and when he reached his side he sat down and started to take of his shoes, putting his feet in the water. Had he been looking up, he would've seen Tom looking down at him with a most comical expression of disbelief and utter confusion.

Harry wasn't sure what to say and so stared at the water himself. He wasn't even sure why he'd ran after Riddle. Except maybe why he'd been visiting him in the hospital wing since Wednesday, that he was curious. He wanted to know about this Riddle. And if he was as dangerous as his older self was. He had seemed quite shocked at the news of what he'd become known for doing.

Harry jumped a little when Riddle suddenly sat down next to him, feet not in the water. "He didn't tell me that only a piece of me went into the diary. Dumbledore only said that my consciousness was locked into the diary. I had assumed that meant all of me, he hadn't mentioned some of me stayed in my body to continue on living. Let alone what that part went on to do." He said in a monotone.

Harry stared at him uncomfortably. Riddle wasn't looking at him, only staring into the lake. After awhile it became awkward to look at him when he wasn't returning his gaze, so Harry too turned to look at the lake.

"He probably should've mentioned that. I can't imagine he thought you wouldn't find out. Perhaps he didn't want to overload you with information?" Harry offered.

He heard Tom let out a snort next to him. "No. He just thought it would ruin my brand new start at life." He said mockingly.

"Don't you want a second chance? To do things differently?" Harry asked tentatively.

This was what he really wanted to know. However it seemed as though Riddle wasn't going to answer, as they sat in silence. Harry sighed, kicking his feet back and forth in the water, unsure what to say next.

But suddenly Riddle broke the silence. "I don't care that your friend's muggleborn. I don't know why my... counterpart does. It was never something I held in any esteem, despite my housemates beliefs. I don't know what changed my mind. So I guess things will turn out differently whether I'd wished for a second chance or not."

He didn't seem very happy about this declaration. Harry on the other hand, felt much lighter. Dumbledore was right then. This version was before he'd become 'entrenched in the Dark Arts'. This version wasn't a danger then. Harry sighed in relief.

"So you won't be a Dark Wizard this time, huh?" Harry asked with a little smile on his face, looking back at Riddle.

"I don't know about that." He said, leaning back and looking over at Harry for the first time. Harry widened his eyes. "It's a branch of magic I am quite talented in. And as far as I'm concerned is just magic, and means nothing about me as a person. However if your worried I'll start cursing people on some sort of rampage you can calm down," He said with a laugh at Harry's expression, "That's not the kind of dark magic I learned."

Harry furrowed his brow, "What other kind is there?"

Riddle did not seem at all impressed with this statement. "There is more to the dark arts than just curses. They are but one branch of dark magic."

Harry relaxed once again at this. Until Riddle continued, "Curses can be quite fun too though."

Harry splashed him with water.

Riddle seemed quite surprised at that, gaping at Harry. Harry regretted it as Riddle didn't seem too happy to suddenly be wet. However the teen merely stood up and stared hard at Harry.

"You want to pick fights, perhaps you choose other second years." He advised, before moving his hand in a sweeping motion and causing a wave to erupt from the lake and engulf Harry.

Spitting out water, Harry heard fading laughter and looked around to see Riddle walking off back to the castle. Harry lamented that he was drenched but put on his shoes and ran to Gryffindor tower to change. By the time he reached Transfiguration he was puffing. And very, very late. McGonagall was not impressed.

* * *

A/N: So Harry and Tom have officially met! This will be the last short chapter, they're longer from here on out. Please review :-)


	6. Chapter 6: Summer at the Burrow

After being confined to the hospital wing for a month, Tom was ready to leave. The company had been pleasant enough, if one didn't count Ronald Weasley who Tom was sure only came out a misguided attempt to protect his friends from the dangerous Tom Riddle. Asides from Weasley's glares though, Miss Granger turned out to be a fine conversationalist. She asked about everything, from what life was like in the 40's to what O.W.L.s were like. The two also frequently got into debates over magic. Tom had to admit, she was fairly intelligent for a second-year.

Harry Potter was by far the most interesting part of the past month. He visited nearly everyday and while he wasn't as much of a debater as his friend, his conversations were equally intellectually stimulating. Harry, it appeared, had taken upon himself the task of catching Tom up in current events. They talked about many things but most importantly about Voldemort, Harry's scar, how he'd become The-Boy-Who-Lived and Harry's meeting of his counterpart the year before.

Tom tried to question Harry on this 'Love Magic' that had saved his life but soon learnt that Harry only knew what had occurred in general terms. Tom took it upon himself to research this matter later. Love magic or not, there something wrong with Harry's story. Based on what Tom knew of the killing curse, which was unfortunately a lot, there was something missing from Harry's story. Besides the obvious fact of still being alive.

On the last day before term let out he was called to Dumbledore's office where he met several red-heads who were clearly Weasley's siblings, as well as a plump witch he guessed was the group's mother.

What followed was an absurd amount of shouting at the announcement that Tom would be staying with the Weasley's this summer. It was not he'd thought his summer would go. Tom however wasn't the one shouting. The Weasley children were. Most of them anyway. The young girl, Ginny was just staring at him in terror and with no colour to her face.

Tom did wonder what Dumbledore was thinking. Even more so what Mrs Weasley was thinking. She was telling off her children quite sternly that Tom would be staying with them and that was that. He couldn't help but wonder what Dumbledore had told the woman to convince her to let him stay. Dumbledore's reasoning was made quite clear. That the Weasley's already knew of his existence, Mr and Mrs Weasley having been there when he was released from the diary. Dumbledore didn't want to cause unnecessary fuss or draw unwanted attention.

That still didn't explain how he'd convinced the Weasleys, whose daughter had nearly been killed by his diary, to let him stay for the summer. Whatever it was though, it had made Mrs Weasley very adamant. She somehow made herself heard over the tempers of the 4 Weasley boys in the office. Tom thought she appeared to be quite the formidable witch. While he didn't doubt he's chances in a battle of wills against her, she would make a worthy opponent he decided. Not that he had the time.

That meeting was how the next day, he found himself standing in front of a house that would surely topple over if it weren't for magic. A house in which he'd be staying for the next 2 months surrounded by people who hate him. Something Tom was familiar with, it was he used to from summers at St Wool's.

Heading inside he found the house to be warm and inviting. There were a lot of things lying around but it didn't make it look cluttered, only lived in. The decor at least was a step up from St Wool's, the same could not be said about the roomates. A topic which involved yet another row, the third Tom had heard on their way here alone, about Tom's presence. One which Tom knew from the off, Mrs Weasley would win just as she won the others.

"Right well, get unpacked dears, don't leave your things in your trunks. Fred, George show Tom the way to his room, he'll be sharing with you, I've already set up a spare bed in there."

"Sharing with us?" Twin-by-the-table said outraged.

Twin-by-the-door-to-the-staircase turned around at that proclamation, "No way! We're not having him in our room!"

Mrs Weasley put her hand on her hips and said quite sternly, "Yes you are! There's not enough room for him to have his own, and he can't share with Percy he has much too much work to be doing. You have the bigger room, so you have the space. He's sharing with you."

"Why can't he go in the attic?" Twin-by-the-table asked.

"Because we do not shove guests away in the attic! It's cold and drafty up there, not to mention the ghoul! If you two decide to clean it up then you're more than welcome to move up there yourselves but Tom is staying in a proper bedroom and that's that." She said with a note of finality in her voice.

The twins grumbled and let out a few inaudible mutterings, glaring at Tom and gesturing him to follow them.

She then turned to Tom and continued in a much softer voice, "I hope you don't mind sharing but we've only got Bill's old room, my eldest, and Arthur has filled it with muggle junk since he left home."

"It's quite alright, I'm no stranger to sharing a room." Tom said with a charming smile on his face before following after the twins.

It was quite true, he'd never had his own room. Noelle and he had only been born 6 days apart as near as the matrons could figure and had shared a room from nursery. They'd tried to separate them as they grew older, propriety and all, but they hadn't much luck as Noelle refused to move. Even at Hogwarts he shared a dorm with 5 other boys.

Upon entering the twin's room he found a fold out bed against one wall, adjacent to the matching ones by the window. It was rather crowded, but that was in Tom's comfort zone as well unfortunately. The twins were already unpacking their trunks, and pointedly ignoring the other boy in the room. Tom returned the favour, and set down the few belongings he'd gathered in the past month. A few pairs of robes, a couple books, and the now empty and uncursed diary that Dumbledore had returned to him on one visit to the Hospital wing.

"Not gonna try and murder us in our beds are you?" One twin asked rather unconcernedly.

"I wasn't planning on it. Besides it being a rather moronic idea considering everyone would know it was me, it strikes as rude behaviour for a house guest, don't you think?"

Twin-on-the-left raised his eyebrow. "Yes, I do believe its rather frowned upon-"

"Murder," Right twin continued.

"Truly terrible manners, that."

"Who'd have thought." Tom said smoothly. "I was planning on sleeping actually, so unless you two had any unsavoury ideas, the night should be quite uneventful."

"You know, most would say they're against murder-"

"Cause you know, it's wrong-"

"Morally speaking."

Tom raised an eyebrow at their back and forth way of speaking. It was slightly off putting.

"So I've been told. But in all honestly she was rather a hypocrite on the matter and I wasn't too inclined to listen to her at the time."

The twins looked at him oddly at this, "Who?" Left twin asked.

"My girlfriend. Were you sharing a room with her I would think your paranoia to be most sound." At that declaration, Tom turned on his heel and headed out of the room to get something for dinner. Leaving two very shocked twins behind him.

Oddly enough, Mrs Weasley was quite warm towards Tom. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He had heard several shouting matches started by the Weasley children's complaints at his presence, but Mrs Weasley was having none of it. She defended him against their accusations for incomprehensible reasons (Tom really wanted to know what Dumbledore had told her to get her so on his side), and she was surprisingly very kind to him. Tom was not used to people being kind to him. She even offered to but him new books, when he finished the ones he'd borrowed from the Hogwarts library. She gave him an owl order form, and said she'd send it for him. Quite possibly the most discomforting though was how she would insist at each meal that he had enough on his plate. It was much too reminiscent of Noelle.

In truth Mrs Weasley's actions were the main reason why Tom barricaded himself in the twins bedroom for the first 2 week of summer. The hateful glares and accusations of the males, and the pale-faced staring of Ginny, were familiar and Tom knew just how to deal with them. With detachment and snark. But Mrs Weasley reminded him too much of Noelle, and that was unbearable, so he hid himself in his room, with his new books and read them, refusing to come down for meals. Mrs Weasley started to slip them under his door.

It had been a month and a half, at least from his point-of-view, since he'd seen Noelle. Technically, it had been 50 years, which was worse. Tom had never spent this time away from her. They couldn't get away from each other in the orphanage and even at Hogwarts they saw each other every day. Tom felt extremely off balance without Noelle around. And the reminder of what he'd lost was too hard to handle.

So he ordered his books, and continued the research he'd started at Hogwarts. He knew that he couldn't order anything unseemly, Mrs Weasley was obviously going to check his list before sending it, but that was okay because what Tom needed wasn't. He needed books on recent history. Specifically the last 50 years. He figured that Mrs Weasley would just believe he was catching up with the times, but he was searching for Noelle. Dumbledore said he last saw her a month after graduation and then she vanished of the face of the Earth. But Dumbledore didn't know what to look for. Tom did. Any mention of her, wouldn't involve an actual event involving someone of her description. No, he was looking for odd occurrances. Weird phenomena. Events that people couldn't explain. And thanks to Harry he already had a starting place. He had two time periods to research. The month after graduation, and the events leading up to Voldemort's demise at Godric's Hollow.

The first was actually easier than he'd thought. One event of July 1945 stood out quite plainly, Dumbledore's duel with Grindelwald. This seemed like the most likely event. Dumbledore would have seen her, but been too distracted to go after her or talk to her as he no doubt would've tried otherwise. Plenty of chaos for her to flit around the edges and then disappear when she was finished doing... whatever she had been doing. There were many accounts of this duel in history books, and Tom spent much of his summer reading them. Trying to find any out of place aspect of the day, that Noelle might have been involved in. However it wasn't in any accounts of the duel itself, but in a throw away comment made about Grindelwald's rise to power in another section, that have Tom what he was looking for.

 _'Gellert Grindelwald was a famous bearer of the symbol of the Deathly Hallows. He used the symbol as his own mark. It is no surprise then that he was quite involved in the search for these legendary Hallows, and there are many rumours that he may have even aquired one.'_

The Deathly Hallows. Noelle had mentioned those. Never in much detail, but she was quite knowledgeable in the subject. He also had no quandary over which Hallow Grindelwald must have coveted. For surely it was the wand. Many of the books had stated how legendary the Dark Lord's dueling skills were. And he knew the cloak was safely in England with the Potter family as Noelle had said so, and as for the stone, well Grindelwald was never seen as much of a necromancer. A dueller however, most definitely.

The wand though, must always win duels for its owner. An obscure little detail, but relevant. How had Dumbledore won a duel against an unbeatable wand? On his own such would be impossible. But for Noelle... she'd be able to circumvent its power, if only for a short while. Tom was sure of it. That must have been why she was there. Then she would've disappeared when the duel ended and before Dumbledore could go after her. It made sense.

However no matter how much success he had with working out the details of her last sighting, the events of that night in Godric's Hollow were much more elusive. And Tom unfortunately made no ground on that path. Most authors were baffled by the events of that night, and offered obscure theories but no real explanations of how Harry had survived, each more ludicrous than the last. From a simple lack of intent on Voldemort's part to Harry having Vampire blood from one of his parents. None of them made sense. Even research on the 'Love Magic' theory Dumbledore had told Harry bore no fruits. He could find no evidence of the theory, just another one to chuck in the pile of don't-know-what-really-happened-but-I'll-guess. Tom knew that that wasn't how killing curses worked. Even if love could save someone from it, there'd be cases throughout history of people surviving the curse. Anyone could sacrifice themselves for their child, or a sibling, lover or parent as that would surely work as well. The magic wasn't sound, nor the logic. But try as he might, Tom couldn't find any reliable accounts of that night. Likely because all actual witnesses were dead, or a year old at the time.

On particularly sunny day in mid-July Tom found himself with a new goal that wasn't centered around finding Noelle. Apparently the twins had grown tired of him sitting in his room all day. Despite their original pleasure that they could get away from him during the day, evidently they'd grown bored or vindictive. Tom guessed both. He'd woken up that morning bald, and to a delightful boxing glove in a telescope that gave him two black eyes. Needless to say, he didn't wake up happy.

Before he'd had the chance to do anything though the twins had fled the room, likely feeling the amassing dark magic in the room, that Tom tended to make when infuriated. Which he was at the time. He had gone downstairs and Mrs Weasley, upon seeing the state of him and the smirks the twins were wearing, had exploded at them before Tom had the chance to. Tom, it turned out, hadn't seen Mrs Weasley properly furious before. He was quite glad that fury wasn't directed at him.

It turned out that the twins were trying to create a joke shop, and as such had invented many items for pranking purposes, or in this case for rudely awkening unwanted house guests. This particular boxing telescope though was incurable with ordinary bruise cream, so despite Mrs Weasley's success in getting his hair back she was unable to get the bruises to fade.

She had marched the twins up to their room and gathered all of their inventions and locked them up in what Tom guessed must be Bill's old room as it was filled with muggle junk. The twins were then to have a most miserable week if Mrs Weasley had anything to say about it. With the number of chores as punishment and the lack of pranking items.

But Tom wasn't about to let this go. So upon returning to his room he spent that day thinking about revenge. If he was honest Tom was more partial to curses than pranks, but he had a feeling that cursing the twins to within an inch of their life wouldn't exactly help matters if he wanted Mrs Weasley to order him more books, due to the uselessness of his current ones. So he had to come up with another plan, less pain filled, and less dark. However Tom could be plenty creative when he wanted to be.

Getting revenge wandless, was not something he'd done before. But as his wand was currently- well Tom wasn't entirely sure actually but his counterpart had last had it and likely had left it somewhere when he'd become a spirit. He however knew a few wandless charms and levitation was one of them. So after setting his plan in motion he crawled into bed and fell asleep. Looking forward to the morning.

The morning in which he woke up to shrieks outside his window. He found his room now delightfully empty. Indeed with only the one bed and one desk and one bookshelf, it was very large. He stretched comfortably and went to look out the window with a smirk that soon grew into a full blown grin. The twins didn't want to share with him, so now they didn't have to. Indeed their beds, with them in them, their desks and their trunks were now floating high above the house, directly over the back yard. It would appear as if one of the twins had nearly rolled out of bed this morning as he was dangling from his bed by his fingertips. Hence the screaming.

In no time the other Weasleys were in the backyard and seemed quite shocked to see that the twins had taken up residence outside last night. They did appear rather concerned for the twin currently dangling a good 50ft in the air, who looked about to fall.

"RIDDLE!" The one still on his bed screamed, seeing him in the window.

Tom casually opened the window and stuck his head out. "Enjoying your morning George? I'm finding mine to be quite pleasant." He called in a loud voice, he could hear the grin in his voice.

"TOM!" Mrs Weasley shouted from the ground, clearly unable to figure out to retrieve the twins from their beds, as her summoning charms simply weren't working. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!"

"I apologize Mrs Weasley but you see, Fred and George made it quite clear they didn't wish to room with me, so I thought they might enjoy having their own space once more." Looking back at the pale and angered looking faces of the twins he continued, "Though they don't appear to be enjoying the sentiment."

That was an understatement. An extreme understatement, if the twins venom-filled shouts were anything to go by. Tom just laughed. After informing Mrs Weasley that it was useless to try and break the charm as she'd more than likely just cause them to plummet to their deaths and that she'd have to wait until the charm wore off and let them down, he got his first lecture by Mrs Weasley. He had been right in his first assumption. Mrs Weasley was a sight when angered.

However Fred managed to pull himself back onto his bed and the two seemed to relax for the most of the day, hovering over the house. Mrs Weasley was getting rather frantic when dinner came and they still weren't coming down. The twins were getting rather hungry by this point. Tom was still grinning. However at sunset the beds slowly started to descend and after a good half hour they were only a few feet above the ground and the twins leapt to their freedom.

The most surprising thing of the whole day though, was the twins reaction.

"You can prank." Fred grudging told him when he found him, once again holed up in his bedroom. If Tom wasn't mistaken that was grudging respect in his voice.

"We were expecting some sort of dark magic as revenge."

"And instead you pranked us." George said, the both of them glowering at him.

Then suddenly, the two's faces split into grins and they both said, "Wicked."

"Not bad, Riddle, you're not so bad." Fred offered.

They then both left the room to help their mother in getting their beds back through the window. Apparently they'd changed their minds, and rooming with Tom wasn't so bad after all.

With the twins now acting like Tom was their new best friend, the only Weasley's still against him were Ron and Ginny. Though they now did no more than look at him suspiciously, unable to mount a proper excuse now that the twins had decided he was alright just because he could prank. Percy just ignored him, as he'd done all summer, with disdain. But Tom was just happy that he wouldn't be woken up by anymore boxing telescopes. The house had also gotten much more peaceful without so many arguments between Mrs Weasley and the others. Indeed she seemed quite happy that they'd finally sorted things out between themselves, though she strongly disapproved of how they did so. Not that they got off easy, all three of them were given a boat load of chores the following week and Tom's research fell to the wayside.

The downside of finally not being completely hated, happened to be that he was now expected to participate in activities. He still point-blank refused to join meals, but when not busy doing chores set for them by Mrs Weasley, the twins dragged him into playing quidditch, or exploding snap, or wizards' chess. They even spent their time together weeding the garden and tidying the attic and chucking gnomes over the fence, talking about the twin's plan for a joke shop. He had to admit their inventions were brilliant.

The rest of the summer fell into a pleasant rhythm. Of games mixed with research. Until one day in August when the twins got nosy over what it was he was researching.

"That's the third owl order form you've filled out!" George said in exasperation.

"Are you trying to turn our room into a library?" Fred asked putting a hand on his chest and arranging his face to look scandalized.

George followed with the appropriate expression of horror at the idea.

"What do you need all those books for, anyway" George asked

Tom stared blankly at their antics and said, "Research." Before turning back to the book on his lap.

The book was abruptly yanked from his hands by one George Weasley. "Excuse me, I was reading that." He said coldly.

"Phenomena Of Ghosts In The Twentieth Century," He read aloud.

"Sounds appropriately mind numbing-" Fred commented.

"Just your kind of book." George continued sarcastically.

"Seriously, why?" Fred asked.

"I told you, research." Tom deadpanned, reaching his hand out for the book.

"Research into ghosts?" Fred asked.

"Didn't realize you were so fascinated by the concept." George added.

"I'm not. I'm looking for someone." He admitted.

The twins looked at each other and then back at him, "This your hypocritical girlfriend who taught you morals?" George asked with a raised eyebrow, still holding his book hostage.

"And if it is?" Tom asked.

Fred looked at him as if he was mad, "And you expect to find mention of her in a book about ghost phenomena?"

"You don't think she became one do you?" George asked.

"No," Tom snapped. "That is the last thing that could've happened to her in the last 50 years. Forgive my curiosity though of what may have became of her in the time I've been hanging out in my diary."

Fred raised an eyebrow, "If she ain't a ghost, then what do you expect to find in this book?"

Tom stared at them a moment, figuring out how to respond. "She had a certain proclivity with the Hogwarts ghosts while she was there, ghosts tend to like her for some reason. The book is about ghosts acting strangely, and its entirely possible that she had contact with one." He paused before deciding to go on, "I haven't had much luck in the history books. Haven't had much luck with any books actually. It seemed as good a chance as any." He finished bitterly.

The twins looked at him with what could almost be pity, except it was the twins so Tom thought he was likely just mistaken, gave him his book back and left with the offer that he could join if he decided to get his nose out of useless, musty, old books.

He just shook his head and turned back to his book, before closing it and setting it down on the pile of useless books. He hadn't really expected to find anything in it. If Noelle didn't want to be found, then she wasn't going to be. No matter how empty that made Tom feel.


	7. Chapter 7: Break In at St Wool's

Harry's summer was going fine until he blew up his aunt. Frustrating, sure. Just a month before term ended he'd brought to life a younger version of his parents killer who'd tried to kill him twice, so being suddenly cut off from the Wizarding World and unable to keep an eye on Tom Riddle, was frustrating. But it was quiet until his Aunt Marge (technically not really his aunt) came to visit. The woman took every chance she got to insult him. Harry wasn't the best at controlling his temper. Inevitably on the last night of her stay, he lost control of his magic and inflated her until she flew off up and up into the sky. Harry had run away.

However, unexpectedly his summerbecame much better after having blown up his aunt. He wasn't punished for his underage magic and got to stay at the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the holidays. Dursley free. On the downside he hadn't gotten his permission slip for Hogsmeade signed.

His summer after that was full of exploration, homework and icecream. Also school shopping. Things were looking up when the Weasley's came to the Leaky Cauldron shortly before school came back. Bringing with them one Tom Riddle.

"Harry!" Ron called with a smile on his face.

Ron and Hermione proceeded to greet him and tell him all about their summers. The Weasley's had spent the last two weeks in Egypt.

"Egypt? Did Tom go as well? Was he alright over the summer?" Harry asked.

Ron grimaced, "Yeah, the prat came along. He's over there actually." Ron gestured over his shoulder to where the Tom indeed was, conversing with the twins. "The twins and him get along well now. Ever since he hovered them over the backyard for a whole day."

Harry and Hermione looked at Ron in horror, but he shook his head at them assuring it was fine, "Really, it was a prank actually. I would've found it quite funny had it been anyone else pulling it. The twins turned him bald the night before so he got them back by levitating them out the window during the night. Mum couldn't break the charm he used and he wouldn't let them down." Ron explained.

Hermione still looked horrified, but Harry had to agree with Ron on this one. It was kind of funny. And looking over the twins he could determine that no harm had been done. If he were honest he would've thought Tom's version of revenge would be harsher than that.

Hermione clearly didn't agree, "They could've been hurt! What if they fell?"

"Well, Fred nearly did, but he got back onto his bed eventually. Egypt was the bad part. Couldn't avoid him there as we all had to stay in a group. Before then he mostly just holed himself up in his bedroom. No clue what he was doing. But in Egypt there were all these tombs of ancient wizards, with all these curses, which was really cool actually. Or would've been if Riddle and Fred and George hadn't been trying to make each other activate one. Mum went ballistic." He shook his head.

Harry snorted. That sounded like the twins.

Harry excused himself and headed over to where said group were currently standing, in a corner whispering conspiratorially. Or at least the twins were, Tom was standing a foot away from looking at them distinctly unimpressed.

"Hey, Tom. Good summer?" Harry greeted.

Tom turned around and smiled lightly at him. "I've had worse. Admittedly ones with less distractions as well," He said nodding his head towards the two still whispering in the corner. "Yourself?"

"Well, I blew up my aunt on accident," Harry said with a grin, "But after than that I've been on my best behaviour."

Tom snorted. "Consiering it's you I'm sure she did something to deserve it."

"Oh she did." Harry assured.

"Have you done your school shopping yet?" Tom asked.

Harry nodded, having completed all that a week ago.

"Well I myself have a long booklist to buy and also a new wand, so I'd best be off."

"I'll join you." Harry offered.

Tom didn't seem to mind, so join him he did. Hermione, Ron, Fred and George did as well. Hermione wasted no time in involving Tom in a debate, Harry on the other hand ended up falling behind and into step with the twins.

"So, I hear you all made friends this summer?" Harry asked pleasantly.

"Oh indeed," Fred said.

"Riddle's a surprising guy-"

"He can prank-"

"We weren't expecting that."

"Shame really," Fred continued.

"Him going dark and all." George said.

"Did you know he'd wanted to be a professor?"

"Defense against the dark arts-"

"Quite ironic don't you think?"

"But just imagine him as a professor." George said.

Harry kept turning his head back and forth to each twin on either side of him, until he started to get dizzy.

"Wasn't Voldemort the one who cursed the DADA position?" Harry asked.

"So rumour has it." George agreed.

"Just a pity he's such a bookworm." Fred mourned watching Tom head for Flourish and Blotts.

Harry shook his head at their antics and hurried forwards to where Tom had already entered the bookstore. He found him not in a section with textbooks, but with books on Dark Magic. Harry's stomach flipped at the titles around him.

"Magic of the Soul," Harry read off the cover of the book Tom was currently buried in.

He looked up, startled. Then back at the book and back at Harry with an exasperated smile on his face.

"Soul magic, one of those other branches of dark magic I mentioned. Infinitely more interesting, but impossibly difficult. I'm no good at it. It's the one branch of Dark Magic I've failed to pick up."

Harry felt quite relieved at that actually. Magic that had to do with the soul seemed like something you shouldn't be involved in.

"Why are you reading it then, if you can't cast the magic?"

"I told you about Noelle last year?" Tom said after a pause. Harry nodded. "She was... naturally gifted at soul magic. I've been trying to find her all summer. Not many people practice soul magic you see, it's more of a talent than a skill. It's characteristic of her, I thought it might help." He shook his head.

Harry had to admit, he didn't much like this Noelle. Tom didn't speak of her much, or very openly. Only with veiled words and vague references. He knew that they'd grown up in the same orphanage and then went to Hogwarts in the same year. Both got into Slytherin and they'd started dating in their third year. Asides from that, he knew that this Noelle's magic was dark. Darker than Tom's from the sounds of things. But he could tell the boy in front of him was obsessed. He supposed had he grown up so closely with someone else he'd also want to know where they'd ended up. But maybe not, if she was so dark. It would be unlike Tom to judge her on such a thing though he supposed.

Tom put the book back and left the section for the textbooks, Harry didn't follow. He grabbed the book Tom had left and opened it. Looking at what it was about. Harry felt his eyes widen and he slammed the book closed, put it back on the shelf and hurried off after Tom. That was certainly not his kind of reading.

The book had reminded Harry of a question he had though. But for the rest of the day he was shopping with Ron and the Hermione, and then dinner was a large affair with all the Weasley's and Hermione present. Harry didn't get a chance to speak to Tom alone. Not until it was past bedtime.

When everyone had settled back into their rooms, Harry heard creaking outside his door. Peaking out he saw Tom descending the stairs. Puzzled as to where he was off to when everyone was sleeping, he pulled on his jacket and followed him out of the Leaky Cauldron and into muggle London. Harry caught up to him quite easily.

"Where are you off to in the dead of night?" Harry asked, keeping his voice clear of emotion.

Tom startled and turned around to see Harry, in pajama pants and a jacket, following him.

"Going for a midnight stroll." He returned blithely, continuing on his path.

"Well you won't mind if I join you then." Harry said.

Tom looked at him darkly, but conceded rather quickly, "Considering you won't take no for an answer, I suppose I have to choice."

"Wonderful." Harry said cheerily and they set off together in silence.

Or would-be silence had Tom had his way. But after a few minutes Harry spoke up. "I've been meaning to ask, you're very casual about Dark Magic."

"So?" Tom asked without looking down at him.

"It's just, you've mentioned how you feel about Dark Magic. But not what you feel about Voldemort." Tom stopped in his tracks, but still did not look at Harry. "Dumbledore said that Voldemort becamewhat he is because he dove to deep into Dark Magic."

"And you want to know if I'll go mad using the Dark Arts." Tom asked, his tone cold and harsh. Harry hadn't heard him soundlike this before. Harry just nodded silently, and then realised that Tom wouldn't see as he was still staring ahead. Harry was about to reply but Tom abruptly started walking again.

Harry thought Tom was going to refuse to say anymore, and they'd walk in silencebut after only a minute he spoke up, in the same cold tone. "Dumbledore doesn't think so. He thinks it was soul magic that sent Voldemort mad. Noelle's magic. Not mine. So if you believe Dumbledore so strongly then; no, my ventures into the Dark Arts won't have the same result."

"If Noelle turned you into Voldemort the first time around, why are you looking for her so strongly?" Harry asked in a quiet voice.

"I said that was what Dumbledore believed. Not me. I don't think things were so simple. Noelle has always been much more complex than that. I don't know how Voldemort came to be, but I have no desires to murder muggleborns, so frankly I don't think you have anything to fear."

Harry looked up at Tom, who was walking straight ahead, with a closed espression on his face. "But how do you feel about Voldemort? That he's out there, and what he's been doing all this time. You can't say you haven't thought about him surely."

After a moment of silence Tom finally looked at Harry and stopped walking. He grabbed Harry by the shoulders and stared down at him intensely. "Whatever anyone says Harry, you can't judge people by what they do. If I have learnt anything in life Harry, it's that. You cannot judge someone on what they do unless you know why they do it."

Harry was shocked and just stared at Tom. He hadn't expected any of that. Before Harry could figure out how to respond, Tom had let go of him and started walking again, staring into the distance once more.

Harry walked with him silently after that. Whenever he got an answer from Tom, he only got more questions. He spent the rest of the walk thinking over what Tom had said. His little life lesson had come out of nowhere, and Harry puzzled over why Tom felt it was so important.

They walked for a long time. At least an hour Harry guessed. And they didn't seem to be wandering either, Tom appeared to have a destination. A destination they finally stopped outside of which Harry found to be a large gloomy looking building with a sign out front saying St. Wool's Orphanage. With widened eyes Harry turned to Tom in confusion.

"It's still here." The older boy muttered in surprise.

"Uh, Tom, why are we here?" Harry asked uneasily.

He was unsure why Tom would want to come back here. He hadn't gotten the impression Tom much enjoyed his time spent here.

"To retrieve something."

Harry looked at Tom oddly. "Wouldn't anything you owned be gone by now?" Harry asked.

"Not this." He shook his head and started forward before Harry grabbed his arm.

Harry hesitated, but made up his mind.

"If you're going to break in," He said, "You'll want this." He pulled his father's invisibility cloak out of his pocket.

Tom's eyes widened at the sight of it, he seemed to know immediately what it was. Tom looked about to say something, but closed his mouth and just nodded. Harry threw the cloak over the two of them and let Tom lead them into the orphanage he'd grown up in.

Upon casting alohamora at the front door with his new replacement wand and walking inside Tom said, "They've renovated the place."

Harry looked around, and he did notice it looked quite new. The place certainly didn't look over 50 years old. The wallpapers and the carpet were stained but were moderately clean. The furniture around the place seemed nice enough. Nothing lavish, but nothing that looked as if it belonged in an antique store either.

Tom quickly led them up the stairs in the entry hall and along a corridor on the third floor to a small room just below the attic. He opened the door to reveal a child, maybe 8, fast asleep. Feeling quite uncomfortable with the situation Harry tried to stop Tom, but Tom headed into the room without hesitation.

"Tom, there's a kid in here. We can't just break into his room in the middle of the night." Harry hissed.

"It used to be my room." Tom whispered. "What we're looking for is in here, it will only take a moment."

At that Tom got out from under the cloak and walked past the bed to the corner of the room. Harry stared at him in shock and removed the cloak himself, eyeing the boy fast asleep in the bed warily. He walked over to Tom who was now kneeling in the corner fiddling with the floorboards. Harry expected him to leverage it up and reveal a hiding nook -he had one like it in his own room- though he didn't see how no one would've found it in 50 odd years, but instead after feeling around for a moment, Tom cast a whispered spell at a spot on the floor and then stuck his hand through. Harry took a step back and couldn't help but let out a gasp at seeing Tom's hand disappear through the floorboards. He seemed to search around in this secret compartment for a while before pulling his hand out, holding something in his fist. Tom smirked and calmly walked back to Harry and put the cloak back on.

Harry got under it himself and quickly led them out of the room and then back onto the streets. Glad to leave the boy to his sleep, he felt much better now he wasn't in the room of some muggle boy while he wasn't awake. Tom hadn't been fazed by that at all and now outside, slipped out from under the cloak and began to walk once more in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry saw Tom slip whatever it was he'd retrieved into his pocket and wanted to ask about it, but couldn't form the question. An hour later when at the Leaky Cauldron once more Tom pulled Harry to a stop just outside. Harry was about to take this moment to ask him what it was that he'd taken from the orphanage, when Tom spoke.

"You're not to tell anyone we went out tonight. Or tell anyone about what we did. Understand?"

Harry wanted to ignore his orders and just ask about the object, but Tom looked at him sternly and Harry nodded. Before he could ask his question Tom had already swept inside and gone back to his room. Harry was left bewildered by the nights events and returned to his own room in a haze of confusion. It took him a while to fall asleep that night, he spent a long time going over what that object could've been.

Harry didn't tell anyone he'd broken into St Wool's Orphanage with Tom that night. He kept his secret.


	8. Chapter 8: Dememtors and Memories

Half a century may have passed, but the scene on Platform 9 3/4 hadn't changed a bit. From the train to the commotion of students pushing luggage and calling out to friends, to parents exchanging tearful goodbyes. Tom half-expected to see Noelle at his side, and Burgie walking over, Black's don't run, to tease her.

Mrs Weasley was among the parents waving goodbye, although she was not crying, she was shouting at the twins instead. Tom barely avoided being roped into an embrace from her, but after that attempt he said his goodbyes succinctly and got on the train. The twins soon followed and in no time were frog-marching him to a carriage. Or as well as one can frog-march in a narrow corridor, they were nearly walking sideways.

They got a carriage to themselves, or it was all theirs until a dark-skinned boy with dreadlocks turned up at their door. The infamous Lee Jordan the twins had mentioned over the Summer. Tom took a seat next to the window and tried not to be dragged into conversation. A hard feat with the twins. But he didn't actually know this Lee Jordan and had no desire to get to know yet another Gryffindor.

The fact that he had had contact solely with Gryffindors since he woke up, was frustrating. He couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts and the Slytherin Common Room. However, the twins weren't going to allow such things no matter how many clipped responses Tom gave.

The train was underway shortly and as the trio discussed their coming pranks Tom managed a few minutes of solace staring out the window.

Until... "So where are you from Riddle?"

Looking up he could see the panicked faces of the twins, they hadn't actually discussed a cover story.

Tom wasn't one to go so unprepared.

"Lille in France. I went to Beauxbatons until now. My uncle is good friends with Mr Weasley so when he was called away to America last semester he decided I could stay with the Weasley's over the Summer. After hearing about Hogwarts I urged him to let me transfer." He answers without hesistation. After all the lie is in the details.

"You're French?"

He nodded and tried to back to looking out the window but Jordan wasn't that easy to satisfy.

"So what was Beauxbatons like? Are French girls prettier?" And of course that is the question he receives.

"You know Lee I think they must be." Fred interrupts before Tom can answer.

"There is this one girl, Tommy here has been head over heels obsessed with." George continued.

"Spent every waking moment of the Summer thinking about her, I reckon." Fred finished.

Tom was quite sure they _must_ be able to feel his heated glare. But the twins didn't pay one ounce of attention to the glare that was currently branding their skin.

Jordan takes notice of it, though Tom wishes he hadn't. "Spilling all your secrets are they?" He says with a grin. "What was she like, this girl?"

"She'd curse you just for speaking about her behind her back." He asnwers smoothly and completely seriously before turning back to his window gazing.

He can hear Jordan laughing behind him, "Yeah, the fierce ones are the best."

"What would you know?" Fred asks.

"When have you ever had a girlfriend?" George continues.

As the twins ridicule their nosy friend, Tom leans his head against the window as he thinks. _Fierce._ That is a good word. And thinking of his first time on this train back when he was 11, fierce seems the perfect word for her.

 _The thunder was deafening and the rain made tracks on the window. Tom traced pictures, a smiley face, then a crotchet and then a guitar. As detailed a guitar as he can draw on a foggy window._

 _"I can't believe we're finally on the train to Hogwarts;" Noelle said, sounding excited. "-and your spending your time drawing."_ _She finished in a disapproving tone._

 _"I can't believe you managed to get your head out of your book long enough to notice." Tom quipped back._

 _Noelle raised an eyebrow and leaned forward to see across him, "Your guitar?" She leaned back to look him the eye. "Missing it already?" She teased._

 _Tom snorted, "Yeah. I can disturb your silence so much more effectively when I can play."_

 _"Aren't you disturbing it now?"_

 _"I was silent until you spoke," Tom said, hands raised in mock offense. "Besides you'll only tell me to shut up. You never do that if I'm writing a song."_

 _"Only cause you're finally writing something." Noelle grouses._

 _Tom grinned. "Well only because you're such a good teacher." He layered on the sarcasm real thick._

 _Noelle rolled her eyes and went back to her book but Tom could see the upturn to her lips. He turned back to his window and rubbed it all out so he could see the scenery go by. He'd never been on a train before. He had to admit it was a beautiful way to see the countryside._

 _"And you are?" Came a sneering voice from the now opened doorway._

 _Tom turned around as he felt Noelle stiffen next to him, to see two boys who looked a few years older than them at the door. Tom shot to his feet and extended his hand, an introduction ready on his tongue-_

 _The boy recoiled. "Don't tell me. Mudbloods."_

 _Tom slowly lowered his hand feeling very confused. He was quite sure his blood wasn't mud. It was red and had hemoglobin and plasma and carried nutrients and white blood cells, but it didn't have mud. He was very sure of this. So sure he said so._

 _"My blood isn't made of mud. It's made of red blood cells like everyone else's. Otherwise my blood would be brown, and it isn't, I've seen it before."_

 _Tom thought this made a lot of sense, but the other boys didn't appear to agree._

 _"Oh really, let's just check shall we?" Said one drawing out his wand._

 _Tom's eyes widened because he had a wand but he couldn't cast anything and he was pretty sure that was against the rules anyway. He stepped back and tripped over Noelle's feet falling to the ground._

 _The other two sneered and laughed, "Can't even stand on his own two feet and the mudblood-lovers on the board think he can actually cast magic."_

 _He could see them raising their wands again, but they didn't get very far. Noelle had finally unfrozen and was standing and had both their wand hands in firm grips. By the winces he could tell it was quite painful. They tried to tug away but weren't successful._

 _"Idea. How about the two of you leave before things get serious in here. You don't want me to lose my temper." She said in a low, harsh voice._

 _And something about an eleven year old girl, small for her age, threatening them made them burst into laughter even if she was holding their wands hostage._

 _"What are you going to do. Fall over like your boyfriend here?" One sneered._

 _Tom could see her muscles tensing and her jaw clenching and knew someone had to defuse this situation and knew that someone had to be him because no one else was here._

 _He went to stand up but that was when the brunet finally freed his hand and shoved Noelle hard. She fell backwards and landed on top of Tom, pushing him back to the floor and winding him._

 _He heard more laughter, and seriously did they ever stop laughing. They were like the kids at the orphanage whose only hobby was the misery of others. Which sure might be an exaggeration but that was their only hobby when either Tom or Noelle were around._

 _He felt Noelle shuffling and saw her draw her wand and wondered if maybe she'd read some spell in those books she hadn't put down since they'd went to Diagon Alley a month ago. But no, what came out of her lips instead was an, "Avada-" And then there was a crash, and some language that Mrs Cole certainly wouldn't approve of before the door to their compartment slammed shut and silence descended once more._

 _Noelle huffed out a, "Finally," as she heaved herself off the floor._

 _Tom scrambled to his feet and looked at her frantically. "What was that about?" He asked, his voice perhaps a bit high-pitched but he'd never admit to it._

 _"That was me getting them to leave with the only curse I actually know." Noelle looked Tom right in the eye. "I wasn't actually going to cast it. I'm not an idiot who casts spells and doesn't know what they do. I was only feinting. Remember, like in-"_

 _"Liar! You know exactly what that curse does; it kills people. Why would you even feign..." He took a deep breath. "I mean I just thought..."_

 _Noelle cut him off in a clipped tone._ _"Like I said, I wasn't actually casting it. But I read the potions books. And the history books. Not the spell books. Or at least... not the ones with curses. So I only knew that one. And it doesn't always kill people as you well know." She paused looking away. When she looked back she continued, "I had to scare them off before I lost my temper and they weren't listening. If you had any brighter ideas besides talking them down..."_

 _"Which is a fantastic idea beside that one."_ _Tom retorted weakly._

 _Noelle rolled her eyes. "And used time we didn't have." She cut in, ending the argument._

 _Tom sank down onto the seat opposite and stared at Noelle. Her book was abandoned next to her and she had now taken Tom's previous seat by the window. She was staring into the downpour and Tom tried to pretend he didn't see in her eyes what he did and that she wasn't as tense as she was. That he wasn't shaking and he certainly wasn't scared. He looked out the window too._

Tom was pulled out of memory lane by the arrival of the trolley witch. Surprisingly the same one from his day, although with a lot more grey hairs. He didn't buy anything; with what money? He'd been given a small pouch for his school supplies and a new wand, that Dumbledore had given Mrs Weasley when they came back from Egypt. He still had half of that pouch. Money was useful and as much as he liked pumpkin pasties, there was a feast waiting at Hogwarts and he could wait. He'd gone longer without food. The orphanage never got as much food as it needed due to rationing.

As the sky grew dark and the lamps flickered on, Tom wondered if they were already so close. It hadn't seemed long enough. But then the weather grew fiercer and the lights went out and when the train stopped students started shouting about someone boarding the train. This is not supposed to happen. What was going on? Tom was confused, and Tom hated being confused.

"Oi, that's my foot!" Someone shouted. One of the twins Tom thought.

"Just trying to see what's going on." The other replied. There was the sound of the door sliding open. "I can't see anything out here." He called. Then Tom heard a stumble and an intake of breath and then his foot was being stepped on.

He was about to protest when he saw the creature at the door. And suddenly the darkness and the cold made sense. There was a hooded being, with a withered hand held out and it took a rattling breath and Tom was sure he hadn't felt colder even when he was trapped in the freezing cellar in the middle of Winter as the Nazi's dropped their bombs overhead. And he thought it was weird that he was even thinking of that but then he couldn't stop and-

 _Screaming. Crying. A dozen children freezing and terrified._ _Noelle is pale and green and she throws up in the corner. Tom stands to hep her but there's a blast and he throws himself back to the ground and just wishes this was all over._

 _The green light faded. And there was no blood. No wounds. Just sightless eyes and limp hands that were no longer grasping Noelle's arm._

 _Then there is blood. And the tiles are covered in it. The mirror is shattered and Noelle's screaming. She won't stop and all Tom can think of is the pain. Unbearable pain. Agony. There's nothing else in the world anymore, not even Noelle; just pain._

 _Until there's darkness._

He wakes up, and he's not in pain but why does he feel like he should be?

"Tom! You're awake!"

"Are you alright, mate?"

"Space. Air. Move." He gets out.

"Right, sorry." Says one twin, and he's too muddled right now to tell which one, but both move out of his face and he manages to sit up.

"Why am I on the floor?" Tom asks, standing up on shaky legs, and why are his legs shaking?

"You passed out." Said George.

"When the dementor came." His twin clarified.

"We were just cold for awhile, and then it left," George continued, his voice noticeably shaky, "but by then you were out cold on the floor."

"Lee was about to go find a teacher cause we couldn't wake you." Fred finished. And indeed Lee was standing by the door, pale as the rest, and appearing conflicted as to whether he should stay or leave.

Everyone was looking at him concernedly, but Tom just shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. He remembers the dementor. And the cold. And then...

 _The cellar. The green light. The pain._

He shakes his head again.

He swallows and clears his throat until he's sure he can speak without tremors. "I'm fine." And he's glad it came out normally.

The twins don't look convinced but what else can Tom say. He's sure not explaining what he saw.

He just stares out the window, because he knows those memories. And they were horrible. But that last one. The blood, the shattered mirror, the pain. That he doesn't remember. And why was Noelle screaming?

He's drenched and it doesn't matter because his evening was already going horribly so why wouldn't it get worse. Now maybe he'll get a cold on top of everything else, and the cold from the dementor hasn't even faded yet. But he doesn't even get to dry off with everyone else in the Great Hall and dig in to the Start of Term feast, because he's being led to McGonagall's office; and Harry is too. He only last saw Harry at 11 on the platform but he's pretty sure he wasn't that pale then, but he supposes the dementors did search the whole train.

When Flitwick shows them into the office, Madam Pomfrey is there and she wastes no time at all in fussing over them.

"Dementors! On the Hogwarts Express! Has everyone forgotten that this is a school and not a prison?" She exclaims as she feels their foreheads. "Clammy. But that is to be expected. Here, have some of this." She says, shoving chocolate into their hands. She stares at them and they at her until she sharply says, "Eat up! It will help with the effects of the dementors."

"Professor Lupin already gave me some chocolate Madam Pomfrey." Harry says, as Tom takes a bite out of his. She was right it does help, he already is feeling a little warmer.

"Is that so? Finally a Defense Professor who knows his remedies."

Soon enough they're being hustled out of the office and told to head back to the Great Hall, both holding more chocolate than either could ever hope to eat.

"You fainted too?" Harry asked, in step beside him.

Tom's tempted to just stay quiet, but he swears there's some desperation in his voice. It's Harry and he knows he won't laugh but still, no need to go into details right? "Yes." He says shortly.

Harry just nods and keeps walking. Tom's curious as to why he doesn't inquire more. Harry is usually full of questions. But he supposes Harry doesn't want to talk about his experience either. Tom knows people don't usually have such extreme reactions to dementors. But Harry had faced his future self twice and lived, so if anyone has some horrific memories, he likely does.

A/N: Sorry I took so long to upload. Since school's been back I haven't really gotten into a routine yet. I was going to post this Friday but I went to Melbourne for the weekend. But its here now and I'm quite happy with this chapter, tell me what you think of it! :)


	9. Chapter 9: Making Allies and Enemies

The Start of Term Feast was quite uneventful. If you asked anyone who wasn't in Slytherin that is. After everyone had dried themselves and sat down things went as they always had. Rambunctiously, but normal. At the Slytherin table however, everyone was quite surprised to see a new student who wasn't a 1st year.

Tom watched as those around him whispered and stared, whilst pretending to be very interested in his soup. True he hadn't eaten all day, but dementors had a way of stealing your appetite and it is for pretences only that he bothered to eat at all. He skipped dessert, the chocolate had been quite enough, and quietly observed the twins antics on the other side of the hall. It was apparent that they were regaling their table with the tale of the French Transfer student who had stayed the Summer, if their mimes of dangling from beds and exploring tombs were any indication.

When Dumbledore stood to give his speech, Tom tuned back in to his surroundings.

"Welcome, students of Hogwarts. A wonderful year of learning awaits! However first a few announcements. First and foremost, Hogwarts will be playing host to the dementors of Azkaban, as I'm sure you've been made aware by their search of the train this evening." Mutterings followed, quickly hushed by the Headmaster, while Tom wrinkled his nose in distaste. What room was there for prison guards at a school? "They will be guarding all entrances to the school, and I urge all of you not to provoke them. It is not in a dementors nature to understand pleading or explanations." No kidding, Tom thought.

"On a brighter note, we have a transfer student this year." Tom could feel everyone's eyes turn to him, but he had long ago perfected nonchalance. "Tom Riddle is from the Wizarding School of Beauxbatons and will be finishing his schooling with us. I'm sure we will all be welcoming, and Slytherin especially to their new housemate." He said, twinkling eyes pointed in the direction of Slytherin's table.

Welcoming. The idea was laughable. Tom thought. He knew just how welcoming Slytherin was when you didn't have the proper name and background. he could already see those who were inching away at the name Riddle.

He listened attentively to the rest of the speech, which was quite different. The new caretaker was clearly more involved in the school, unlike the one from his day who was rarely seen and never sober, and had a long list of forbidden objects that Tom doubted--assuming student's rulebreaking nature hadn't changed-- anyone paid attention to.

The Forest was now off limits and Tom wondered what had happened to change that policy. In his day the Forest was off limits only if you were too scared to go in. It was a rite of passage almost, for First-Years to venture in alone. Or at least it had been in Slytherin. He didn't doubt Gryffindor had something similar, what with priding bravery above all else.

Finally, the Defence Against the Dark Arts position was to be filled in by a Remus Lupin, whom Tom vaguely remembered Harry mentioning on their way to the Great Hall.

When the students were finally dismissed, Tom made sure to wait a moment before getting up and then to hang around at the back of the group of Slytherins who were making their way to the common room. He knew he couldn't appear to already know the way, and as much as he would prefer to find his dorm before the others gathered to interrogate him, he knew he had to follow.

He was right as it happened. When he arrived at the Common Room, among the last of the Slytherins to get there, many of the Slytherins were gathered in groups talking to each other.

"There he is." A voice called out. It belonged to a brunette girl, who appeared to be in his year. She stood aside as a younger boy, with white-blond hair came forward.

"Riddle isn't it?" The boy drawled.

"That's the name. And you are?" Tom asked, though he was fairly sure he could guess.

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." One of Abraxas' spawn it is then. Tom would recognise that hair anywhere.

"Quiet Malfoy. Why don't you leave this to us elders?" Said another boy, who then turning to Tom continued, "Avery. You're French I hear? From any family we'd know of?"

Tom walked closer to the group so as to face them properly, rather than hanging by the door. "Unlikely." A lie. But the Gaunt's aren't exactly French. "That however is pathetically veiled for a Slytherin. You want to know my blood status, why don't you just ask?"

Avery raised an eyebrow but managed to hold his mask in place and not completely display his anger. Not totally incompetent then. Tom noted.

"And I suppose you know so much about Slytherin for someone who's been here an hour?" Now it was Tom's turn to raise his eyebrow. "But if you want to be blunt, then alright. Are you a mudblood as your name suggests." The last part spoken in a mixture of derision and suspicion.

Tom took a deep breath and knew he should probably be remembering whatever Noelle used to do when facing off an idiot but right he can't remember what that was, so with a sweeping gesture of his arm he said, "Actually, I rather meant all of you. The lot of you are gathered and muttering about me, and not even gossiping behind my back but with full expectation that I will come along, in fact it's one worse you were doing so while waiting for me. It was not your inquiry that was pathetically veiled, although it was, I was referring to this whole interrogation. What's more my question was, 'Why don't you' not an instruction to do so." Tom could see Avery start to lose composure, and knew he should probably stop provoking him, but he was winning. "Although props for trying, bluntness is a step up if you can't even fake mere curiosity. Perhaps if you spent more time in a mirror practicing that, and less gelling your hair, you might have stood a chance at getting an answer."

He went to walk for the hallway that led down to the dorms when Avery, clearly angry now, stepped in front of him.

"Who said you could leave?"

"Oh, going for threats now are we?" Tom asked making sure his face was a picture of innocent surprise. "Well in that case, might I advise you to step forward before you fall."

Avery looked down confusedly before jumping forward as the floor he stood on suddenly changed into a bottomless pit. in truth it merely went to the lake, one of the perks of being Slytherin's heir. He ended up crashing into Tom who was prepared and grabbed him before he lost balance, holding the boy steady.

"Next time, I won't warn you. This is not the first time my family has been to Hogwarts and they passed down a few secrets over the years. So unless you want to see some of the other traps hidden in this castle, I suggest you leave me alone." He hissed in his ear before pushing Avery away, who lost balance and fell to the ground where there had just recently been a gaping chasm. the boy scrambled to his feet and to somewhere he viewed as a little more solid. Tom was pleased to see some fear mingled in the anger now.

This time when Tom made to walk away, no one stood in his path. They glared and looked a range of confused and furious, but they let him pass. This time. He'd deal with later when it came. As he made his way down the stairs he heard the chatter begin again and was sure everyone was asking Avery what he had done and trying to cast spells to make the trap reappear. They would have no success. It was keyed to Tom's magic being the Heir of Slytherin. Only he could will it open.

He found the door labelled, '5th year Boys' and found his bed nearest the door. Usually the most hated spot, but Tom had always liked it. He was just grabbing his pajamas when the door opened and another boy entered. He had shoulder length black hair tied up in a bun and a rather wide nose. The boy held his gaze for a moment before introducing himself as 'Peter Parkinson' and heading for his own trunk, at the bed next to Tom's.

They grabbed their belongings in silence and when Tom came out from his privacy curtain now clothed in his pajamas, he spoke. "You seem rather comfortable.

"What was supposed to put me off balance: Your display upstairs, or your unclear blood status?" He asked without missing a beat.

Tom was pleasantly surprised. Parkinson at least seemed to have a brain. More than Tom could say for Avery.

"The latter. I am not so arrogant as to believe the mere trick of a stranger would frighten you all off."

Parkinson smiled ever so slightly. "I'm glad. Arrogance isn't a virtue. As for the topic of your blood status? That 'mere trick' was not the trick of a mudblood. You have Wizarding heritage. I don't know how pure, but I know you're powerful so I can guess."

"And how could you know that?"

"Because we're not all blind to magic."

This did surprise Tom. "You can see magic?" He asked. It was a very are talent. He'd always been jealous of Noelle for having it, although she'd always insisted what she had wasn't the same.

"Not see it. But feel it. A lot more acutely than others can. Yours is strong. And dark." He paused for a moment before continuing with a playful smile, "If I may be so blunt as bullheaded Avery." Tom smirked. "I'd rather have you as an ally than an enemy at this point. You should never make enemies with strangers after all. Especially not ones with potential." Tom silently agreed.

A/N: A bit short, buts thats all for tbis chapter. I hope you liked Tom's reaction to the Slytherins, it was quite fun to write.

As for the forbidden forest not always being forbidden, that was based off a post I saw that it became forbidden due to the marauders. I found it funny so just thought I'd include it in Tom's musings.

Please review! :)


	10. Chapter 10: Suspicious Teachers

Tom's first class in 1993 was Transfiguration. It was taught by a no-nonsense witch named Professor McGonagall. Tom decided he had no luck when it came to Transfiguration teachers. They would never like him. Dumbledore had been suspicious of Noelle and him from Day 1 and clearly this Professor McGonagall was the same. Passionate about Transfiguration. Intelligent and no doubt a great teacher. But with a steadfast view of right and wrong, and Tom was always in the wrong.

He was unaware what he was supposed to be doing wrong but Professor McGonagall kept shooting him warning glances doing her lecture.

He wasn't the only one who had noticed either, as Parkinson who had sat next to him spoke to him for the first time that morning. "What have you done, in the less than 24 hours you've been at Hogwarts that McGonagall could've possibly heard about to make her glare at you as if begging to give you a detention for something."

"I have no idea." A lie. Dumbledore had obviously told her who he really was. Or who his counterpart became anyway. "She's the Head of Gryffindor House right? Don't Gryffindors usually hate Slytherins?" He came up with on the spot.

"McGonagall has some brains," He allowed. "For a Gryffindor." He quickly added. "She's biased, of course. But she doesn't give Slytherins detentions because they're in Slytherin." He gave Toma side-long look and continued, "She gives them detentions when they fail to use their Slytherin traits and use cunning to get away with their transgressions."

Tom gave a slight smile at that. It seemed accurate based on his observations.

"Seriously though, I swear she's just waiting for a reason to gut you."

Tom, who'd been staring at the Professor for the past half hour, had noticed that.

"I'm new here remember? How should I know." Parkinson shrugged, casting Tom an analytical look which Tom didn't see, still focused on the front of the classroom. "Tell you what though..." He continued, looking over with a smile. "I don't think I'll be enjoying Transfiguration here."

Parkinson smiled in agreement and then turned back to copy down the notes put up on the board.

Tom and Parkinson walked down to Care of Magical Creatures in silence. Neither feeling any need to fill it.

Parkinson led Tom towards a section of grounds he'd been many times before, but which had clearly been repurposed. It hadn't been used for lesson before, it had been a clear field which students had used for various purposes. But he and Noelle cared little about the field, and much preferred the giant yew tree that grew there.

There was no tree now, cut down long ago. Instead there was a small hut on the edge of the Forest and a gathering of 5th years near the vegetable patch.

"Groundskeepers hut." Parkinson exolained as they got nearer. "The groundskeeper got the teaching post this year."

"The groundskeeper?" Tom asked.

"Yeah. There's rumours of him being a half-giant. Everyone speculates that's why he never taught before.

Tom stopped. "Half-giant?" He repeated.

"Yeah." Parkinson replied straight-faced as he turned around. "So rumour has it anyway. Judging by his size I agree with them. He's an idiot though, as they all are. He wouldn't be able to hurt anyone." Parkinson tried to reassure.

Fears about giant blood though, were not what was running through Tom's mind. What was running through his mind was that he remembered a particular half-giant, and he doubted that there was two of them at Hogwarts in the same century; but what the hell were the chances.

Looking back down towards the hut and the forest he saw a large figure appear from the trees.

"No bloody way." He whispered, continuing down the slope. _Only Dumbledore would ever hire a half-giant._ He thought. Tom wanted to smile but suppressed it. No need to raise questions.

He remembered when he'd first met Rubeus Hagrid in his third year. Right in this spot actually. Only there was a yew tree instead of a Groundskeepers hut.

 _The leaves were changing colour, proof that Summer was truly over. Tom couldn't stop grinning. September was finally here and he was back at Hogwarts and away from that damned orphanage and those constant bombing raids. He breathed in the fresh air of Scotland, clear of smog and smoke. Sunny and windy. He knew in that moment that he'd never been happier than he was right now; sitting in the grass, with Noelle's head in his lap and leaning against their tree._

 _"You have leaves in your hair you know." He pointed out._

 _"Our tree's in a rush this year. You'd only just noticed?" She joked throwing a handful of scattered orange leaves into his face._

 _He laughed, and she grinned._

 _Just grinned. That made his smile weaken. She didn't laugh these days. Only smile. Soon enough she likely wouldn't do that either. But maybe he was just being pessimistic. It had been a hard summer was all._

 _Noelle was fine, he told himself. She's fine, he repeated. It was quickly becoming a mantra._

 _Noelle rolled her eyes and looked over at the castle. "Worrywart." She grumbled._

 _"Do I get no privacy?" He complained half-heartedly._

 _She snorted. "Nope."_

 _It was Tom's turn to roll his eyes, and he just focused on her hair, and his hand, and in twirling it around his fingers. Until she suddenly sat up-_

 _"Ow!" She yelped, grabbing her head and turning to him accusedly._

 _"Sorry, I didn't mean- I wasn't expecting you to move." He apologised but she was already looking back at the castle._

 _"Who's that?" She asked._

 _Tom looked away from her and toward the castle himself to see a large lumbering form making its way toward the forest._

 _"Oh. A new first year. Hagrid I think. You missed him at the sorting yesterday?"_

 _She looked back at him disdainfully. "I wasn't exactly mentally present if you'll recall." She said patronisingly._

 _"Sorry." He winced._

 _She shook her head and looked back at the first year- Hagrid, and continued, "Bit big for a first year isn't he?"_

 _"Why are you asking me why, if you're so curious..."_

 _"Weren't you just telling me off for that?" She asked, eyebrow raised._

 _Tom shifted and Noelle let out a sigh but Tom could see she was smiling._

 _The kid was quite close now, clearly planning to explore the forest before breakfast._

 _"Hey!" Noelle called out._

 _"What are you doing?" Tom asked._

 _"Saying hello." She stated as though it was obvious; which it kind of was._

 _The kid jumped out of his skin before walking over to where Tom and Noelle were still sat at the base of the yew tree._

 _"Uh... hello. Wha' are you doin' here?" He asked._

 _"Could ask you the same." Noelle said flatly, staring at him intently. And the kid had noticed. He'd also noticed their ties._

 _"I was just doin' some exploring. I don' want no trouble."_

 _Noelle smiled. "Trouble? Good, because trouble is strictly prohibited in this area. By this area I mean this lovely patch of grass in which this tree is rooted. So if you aren't bringing any trouble feel free to pull up some grass." She said cheerily, hesitating before adding, "I warn you though, there may be bowtruckles, we saw a few last year."_

 _"Bowtruckles?" The kid asked, face lighting up. "In that tree? You sure?"_

 _Noelle grinned wider. "Well there might be. They're not very social but I swore I saw them last term, didn't I Tom?" She asked turning back to him._

 _He looked back at the kid and smiled pleasantly at him aswell, "Well, Noelle here insists she saw one. I myself am dubious. First year she said she saw unicorns in the forest. Then it was a banshee across the lake" Looking back at Noelle he continued, "What is it to be this year. An Erumpent roaming the grounds perhaps?"_

 _"Ignore my friend here. I tell you what though. If you want to see magical creatures, check out the lake. There's a giant squid in there."_

 _"A gian' squid? Truly?" He looked about ready to run away just to find out if this magical creature was real or a fiction of Noelle's imagination._

 _"Real as you or I." Noelle assured._

 _He turned around and started toward the lake beforw halting and turning back. "My name's Rubeus Hagrid. What's yours?" He asked._

 _"Noelle Green." She called out. "And this here behind me is Tom Riddle."_

 _"It was nice to meet to ya!" He called out already running away._

 _Noelle leaned back against the tree, a content smile on her face._

 _"So Rubeus Hagrid likes magical creatures?" Tom asked, attention focused back on Noelle._

 _She nodded. "I like when I can use my magic like that. To make people happy."_

 _Tom leaned back against the tree, gaze intent on her; but Noelle was looking off into the distance._

 _When she turned to look at Tom she was serious as she spoke. "He has giant blood. On his mothers side, that's why he's so big. Everyone will hate him when they find out, if they don't already for their suspicions."_

 _"Giant blood? That's what you saw? That makes sense then."_

 _Noelle shook her head. "Not everyone will accept that information so readily."_

 _"I accepted you didn't I?" Tom smiled at her._

 _"Your the exception to the rule. There's always one. People are supposed to hate what they fear, its how humanity works."_

 _"Ah well, that explains it then. I don't fear you, that's the problem."_

 _"You should." Noelle sighed. "You really should." She added in a whisper._

 _Tom shrugged. This was not the first time they'd discussed this and, unfortunately, it likely wouldn't be the last. They sat in silence for a bit longer. Enjoying the morning chill before breakfast. Before they had to leave for the Great Hall though, Noelle broke the silence._

 _"You know, there actually are unicorns in the Forest right?"_

When Tom and Parkinson reached the vegetable garden Rubeus was already there.

"Alrigh' everyone here?" He called out in a booming voice.

Everyone quietly nodded and mumbled replies as Rubeus' eyes scanned the faces of his new students. When he reached Tom's he froze and his face slackened, his expression a mix of shock and then fear.

Tom furrowed his brow. Had Rubeus not been told about his 'arrival'? Others had noticed his odd reaction and were muttering between each other until Parkinson spoke up, "Tom Riddle. He's the new student."

Rubeus broke eye contact at last, appearing startled. "Wha'... Oh righ'. Yeah, o' course. Sorry, where was I... Ah yes, your 5th year..." He continued to go on about their O.W.L.s and and what he hoped to teach them, soon asking them to follow him into the forest to meet their first creature. He avoided eye contact the whole time.

They didn't walk far into the Forest before Rubeus- _Hagrid now_ , Tom reminded himself, told them they were here. Short though it was, it gave ample time for Tom to mentally slap himself for his stupidity and momentary memory loss. He was a Dark Lord now; or at least his counterpart was. Of course Ru- Hagrid would be uncomfortable around the boy he befriended for 3 years who then turned into a murderous maniac. It was much more apt to wonder why Hagrid hadn't known Tom was going to be in his class. Had Dumbledore not told him?

It was possible he'd forgotten to. Or perhaps meant for him to find out at the feast last night. But when Tom thought about it, Hagrid hadn't been there last night.

They came to a stop in a dark clearing not too far into the woods and unbeknowest to Tom in his mental musings, Hagrid had hauled a sack of meat with him. Meat that he was currently pulling out and throwing to one side of the clearing.

Everyone stood together and watched him, wondering what creature he was baiting.

"Oh, now I reckon I got a real treat for yeh. Probably the only domesticated herd in all o' Britain." He looked quite proud of himself as he said it.

Tom looked around curiously, for this mysterious creature. Soon enough though he saw the skeletal thin, horse-like creatures stepping into the clearing and trodding towards the meat.

"Thestrals." Tom breathed.

"What did you say?" Parkinson asked next to him. "Woah!" He suddenly exclaimed at seeing them tearing the meat away from the caracass. Although Tom doubted he saw the thestrals doing so, so the flying meat must've been an odd sight.

"So, how many of you can see 'em? Come on, be honest."

Tom slowly raised his hand, along with around 4 others.

"And who can tell me wha' they are?"

Those who could see them looked confused although one answered, "They're the creatures that pull the carriages."

"What are you talking about Perry? The carriages pull themselves." A Ravenclaw student told his friend.

"They're thestrals." Tom told them. "And they can only be seen by people who've seen death."

That got everyone's attention. People started looking back at the Thestrals and while some looked interested, the majority took a step back.

"That's righ'." Hagrid said.

He continued to tell them about Thestrals, and how he domesticated them, but Tom didn't hear what he went on to say as Parkinson leaned in and asked him in a quiet voice, "Who did you see die?"

 _Green light. Mad eyes suddenly an empty blue. Hands falling limp. And a green that seemed etched into his retina._ "Nobody. I don't his name." Tom answered shortly.

"A stranger died in front of you?"

"Yes actually. It was a public place, any more questions?" Tom asked sharply.

Parkinson shook his head and looked back at the Thestrals, which to him were flying strips of flesh.

Hagrid didn't look at Tom once during the whole lesson, nor did he address him. Leaving Tom to contemplate in silence until they had to trek back to the castle.

He'd buried that memory for a reason. He tried so hard not to think of it. And now it appeared successively less than 24 hours apart. Tom blamed the dementor for bringing it to the forefront of his mind.

After Lunch was Ancient Runes. A subject Tom knew he was dismal at, even having already learned the 5th year syllabus, he knew he'd fail the test. He only ever did well in Ancient Runes because of Noelle.

It was a period of confusion and his mind being turned into sludge. He knew that he knew the content being taught, but he couldn't write down the answer to save his life. He was grateful he didn't have Parkinson's comments in his ear, as he took Arithmancy instead.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the period, he was just glad to be out of there.

He was on his way to the library when he was pulled into a side passage very suddenly by two grinning red-heads. He sighed, "Fred, George." He greeted. "If you don't mind I was actually on my way somewhere-"

"What if we do mind?" Fred asked.

"What if we had plans?" George continued.

"And by somewhere you mean-" Fred started.

"The library?" The both finished in disgusted tones.

"If that's the case?" Tom asked, exasperated.

"Well we can't allow it I'm afraid." George said cheerily.

"You'll only be researching a girl likely long dead."

"Sorry mate, but thats how it is." George finished.

"And I suppose you have a much more productive use of time in mind?" Tom ignored their uninformed opinions.

"Indeed!" Fred said.

"And we need the password to the Slytherin common room." George said.

"So that's why you need my assistance." Tom realised. "No." He told them simply, turning around to leave.

They grabbed him to stop him, "Hold on." One said. "Wait up." The other chorused at the same time. Tom turned around.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Fred asked.

"I mean no. Why should I?"

"Because, Harry's sulking and we need to get revenge on Malfoy for being a prat." George answered.

"Why is Harry sulking? And what does that have to do with the miniature Abraxas?"

"Miniature Abraxas?" Fred asked with a snort.

"He looks exactly like him. I can only suspect he's a grandson or something of the like. He acts just like him too." Tom explained.

"Well, the "miniature Abraxas" has Care of Magical Creatures with Harry." Fred started.

"Harry told us the whole story when we got to the common room. Lesson ended early because the prat was deaf and didn't listen to Hagrid's warnings." George continued.

"They were studying Hippogriffs. And he decided to insult one." Tom lowered his head into his hand and shook it. _The idiot._

"Yeah, exactly." Fred said to Tom's stance.

"He's in the Hospital Wing now. Harry says it was minor but its Malfoy. He'll milk it for all its worth just to get Hagrid in trouble."

"It's Hagrid's first day and a students been injured. You can bet Malfoy's father'll have something to say to that." Fred spat. "They want to chuck Hagrid out and they'll use any excuse they can get."

It was just as Noelle said back in third year. He has giant blood and it shows. They'll hate him because they fear him, and then they'll do something about it. Nevermind that Hagrid isn't violent in the slightest and is scary as a flobberworm.

"Alright then. But if he's in the hospital wing, why do you need to get to the Slytherin common room?" Tom asked, trying to keep his voice calm. The twins weren't who he was getting angry at.

"Well, at the moment he's untouchable. Madam Pomfrey won't let anyone near him." George explained.

"So, if we can't prank him..." Fred said getting excited.

"We prank his stuff." George said with a grin.

"But you can't possibly get to the dorms without anyone seeing you." Tom pointed out.

"Not like this we can't." Said Fred.

"But using Harry's invisibility cloak we can." Said George.

Tom was silent for awhile. "The password's Toujours Pur. It's the Black Family motto. I assume their showing support for Sirius Black after his breakout."

The twins looked as disgusted by it as he was. The guy had murdered twelve muggles and his best friend according to the newspapers. Clearly he was great role model.

The twins thanked him, and after he assured them that he'd leave the pranking to them, they left. Tom however didn't go to the library as he'd intended. He headed up to the Hospital Wing instead.

When he entered the Hospital Wing Malfoy was moaning in a Hospital Bed while Madam Pomfrey fretted over him. Tom could see a distinct difference in Pomfrey's actions however. With him, she always seemed concerned. Now though she just looked frustrated.

"There's nothing wrong with you! Your arm is healed." Madam Pomfrey insisted.

"But it hurts, it hurts!" Malfoy moaned.

Madam Pomfrey harrumphed and turned around to grab something off a nearby tray when she noticed Tom.

"Oh hello Mr Riddle." She said with a smile, clearly relieved. She immediately walked away from Malfoy's bed, and Tom could tell she was glad for the distraction.

"Where are you going? You need to fix my arm!"

"Your arm has been fixed Mr Malfoy!" She said in a stern voice.

She hurried over to Tom. "Is there something you need?" She aasked him.

The Weasley twins prescence there may be suspicious. But Tom had an excuse in mind. Madam Pomfrey had asked to see him again this term, for one last check-up just to be sure.

"You told me to come and see you for one last check-up. I thought I'd get it out of the way." He said as innocently as he could. "But I can come back later if you're too busy."

"Oh no no no. Come, take a seat. I'll just go get your files." She insisted.

Tom smiled at her and made his way over to the bed next to Malfoy while Pomfrey rushed off to her office.

"You can stop faking. We both know your arm isn't injured." Tom spat at Malfoy, as he kept on moaning as if in terrible pain.

Malfoy did pause but only to ask with a sneer, "Well how would you know?"

"Because I've already been told aabout what happened in your Care of Magical Creatures class this afternoon and I came here to have a chat with you about it." He told Malfoy, looking at him angrily.

"I'll have you know that I'm not scared of what you did last night." He said, sticking his chin up. "And my arm is hurt." He added.

"Of course you shouldn't be scared of me for what happened last night. You should be scared of what I will do."

"You can't do anything to me." Malfoy sneered.

"Wanna bet? I know curses you'll never even hear of in your life, and I can assure you that I will be the only one who knows the counter-curse." Tom threatened. "The only reason I am not cursing you already is because Madam Pomfrey will surely find out. But as soon as you step out of this Hospital wing, you're fair game."

Malfoy snorted. "Liar. You're bluffing."

"You want to take that risk?"

"Let's be clear. Madam Pomfrey will come out of that office and you'll say your arm has miraculously healed, and you will ensure that no one blames Hagrid for what happened because your stupidity. Agreed?"

"That oaf needs to be held accountable for his actions." The parrot imitated in a superior tone. Tom snorted. "And his monster's!"

"No no no. You need to be held accountable for your own actions. I don't care that your father raised you so poirly that he taught you there are no consequences for your actions. But you no longer get to blame others for your wrongdoing." Tom explained through clenched teeth. He gripped the edge of the bed just to remind himself not to go for his wand instead. He'd never been able to stand spoilt brats. "Your going to leave this Hospital Wing and tell everyone the truth. That it was just a scratch, and it was your own fault for not listening to the teacher. Otherwise you may find yourself stuck in a bottonless pit where no one can find you. Are we clear now?"

"Malfoy leaned back against his pillows. He tried to sneer but his eyes were wide. He clearly wasn't used to getting threatened. Not seriously anyway.

Tom heard the door swing open behind him and turned around with a smile to see Madam Pomfrey walking towards him. She had taken awhile, but that's what he'd bargained on. She no doubt took all the time she could to be away from Malfoy.

"Not moaning anymore Mr Malfoy?" She asked him when she came to a stop between their beds.

Malfoy looked back at Tom and back at the school nurse and back at Tom again.

"Uh, no. I think my arm's feeling a lot better now actually. Thanks for healing it, if I could just be on my way now?" Malfoy answered after his hesitation.

Madam Pomfrey's eyebrows shot up. "Is that so? Well then go on, you can leave." She told him.

Malfoy got out of bed and left the Hospital Wing as quickly as he could. He didn't look back once.

Madam Pomfrey put the files on the bed amd her hands on her hips. "What did you say to him Mr Riddle?"

Tom smiled innocently. "Nothing. We just had a little chat."

She stared at him suspiciously before telling him. "I warn you now, if I see either of you because one of you cursed the other I will be most displeased."

"You have my assurance that will not happen." Tom told her. Madam Pomfrey narrowed her eyeseyes at him, but made to gather her files again when he continued, "There'll be no need, he made the right decision."

"Mr Riddle!" She started, but then stopped and closed her mouth rifling through her files. As she cast her diagnosis spells she continued, "I don't care what the circumstances. You are not to threaten my patients again, understood?"

"Indeed. I shall not test your patience." Tom quipped.

She eyed him, and then sighed and continued her spell casting.

"You're free to go Mr Riddle. It appears the dark magic has left no worrying effects. Quite frankly I think you're very lucky."

Tom smiled and grabbed his bag, heading for the door. He wasn't lucky. Just taken into consideration.

A/N: This chapter ended up really long. I hope you don't mind. Keep in mind that all derogatory comments towards Hagrid, are the characters views not mine.

Yes, I made Hagrid and Tom friends while they were in school, it seemed something Noelle would do, and so Tom would end up along for the ride. As with many things.

I'm quite excited as I've been able to write quite a lot recently, and I have the next few chapters planned out already so there shouldn't be anymore long waits between chapters.

As always, please review!


	11. Chapter 11: A Desire To Learn

The next morning, the twins prank appeared to have worked. Malfoy's belongings were found floating in the air, at the top of the vaulted ceiling. This seemed an easy fix. Someone accio'd it, and that should've been it. But the accio just made the trunk flip over and spill its contents throughout the common room. It was mayhem as Malfoy screamed and attempted to grab his possessions. A few other third years helped him but most laughed as they picked up mirrors, hair gel, and underwear. It was really quite an amusing sight.

Tom having the foresight to stand by the door in preparation for whatever the prank turned out to be, got out of the common room and made his way to breakfast whilst the rest of his house was held up in the havoc.

In the Great Hall he found a sparsely filled Slytherin table and looking to the other side of the hall, decided to break the rules a bit. He headed to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to the twins.

"Mind if I join you? I feel my breakfast will otherwise be very lonely and it is frankly your fault." Tom stated, already sitting down and reaching for food. When he looked to his left he saw matching grins.

"Well, what was his reaction?" George asked.

"I bet it was priceless." Fred said.

Tom grinned. "I don't think I've ever heard a pitch as high as his screaming. Truly the chaos was a sight to behold. His underwear ended up on his head. Also Avery's I believe." The twins were laughing by now, and the others around them were staring and not following a word of what he was saying. "He looked quite disgusted, that was indeed a priceless look. He likely went to shower again. Malfoy no doubt has to reapply his hair gel, if he ever gets it back. I believe they may be having a late breakfast."

"What is this about?" Hermione asked, across from him.

"We may have put a few charms on Malfoy's trunk." Fred admitted to her.

"You know, for yesterday." George explained. Both if them talking through their laughter at their imaginations of the chaos going on down in the dungeons.

"You charmed Malfoy's trunk?" Harry asked. Although unlike Hermione he seemed much more excited about the prospect than reprimanding. "So that's what you needed my cloak for yesterday." He said grinning. "What did the charms do? Why was Malfoy's underwear on his head?"

While the twins rehashed their brilliant schemes to Harry and Ron's laughter. And the approval of many others around them if the looks on their faces were anything to go by.

"You should still be at the Slytherin table shouldn't you?" Hermione asked him with narrowed eyes.

"I don't see anyone coming to tell me off. It's only breakfast." He said, gesturing to his buttered toast.

Hermione appeared discontent but nevertheless she didn't say another word.

Not that Tom's breakfast passed in silence, there was still the raucous laughter next to him. When the Slytherins came in, some seemed quite happy about the mornings events. Others, notably Malfoy and his friends, weren't so happy. And like Tom had expected, no one had come to tell him off for sitting at the wrong table.

As Tom was studying in the library in that afternoon, he was interrupted by a huff and displaced dust as someone sat down across from him. It was Hermione.

"Uh, hello?" He said uncertainly.

"Hello." She said, immediately burying her head in one of the many books she'd brought.

Tom stared for a moment, and looked around as if he'd missed something.

But she said nothing; just grabbed some parchment and a quill and started taking notes. Tom turned back to his Runes homework and tried to ignore her. Which turned out to be quite easy, Hermione just sat there reading and taking notes and didn't bother him at all. Tom found it comforting, companionable silence broken only by the scratch of a quill. His studying sessions had never been so peaceful.

The same couldn't be said for the study itself; Ancient Runes were still, and always would be a mystery. His agitation must have been noticeable because Hermione removed her head from her book and asked, "Are you alright?"

Tom looked up. "It's only Ancient Runes, they're impossible to translate." He said with a sigh.

"Ancient Runes? I'm taking that this year, it's not so hard. Does the coursework get more difficult?"

"I wouldn't know. I couldn't understand it third year either. It's not exactly my subject."

Hermione looked around, as though to make sure no one was listening. No one else was even in this part of the library. "But didn't you already do your O.W.L.s technically?" She whispered.

"Half of them. Why?"

"Well then why are you still taking the subject? Couldn't you have swapped it for something else? Considering you're supposed to be a sixth year."

"Dumbledore gave me the same classes as I had before. I'm repeating my fifth year.

"But if you can't understand the coursework, why has no one let you drop it before now?"

Tom looked away, not really looking at anything. "Noelle took it. She was a natural at it, she used to help me with Runes."

He heard Hermione shift in her seat before she said a but more hesitantly than before, "Harry mentioned a Noelle." Tom looked back at her. "Not much, just that she was your girlfriend and that she was skilled at Dark Magic. Who was she? I mean you clearly loved her and I know from the twins that your looking for her. But why?"

"Its easy to make assumptions when your only description of her is an affiliation with me and a inclination towards Dark Magic." Tom retorted.

"How would you describe her then?"

"I'm unsure how Noelle is any of your business." He replied shortly.

Hermione leaned back with a huff. She was silent, and they stayed that way for awhile. "Well until you find her, you still need to do your Runes homework. I can help you if you'd like?"

Tom shrugged and turned the book upside down the show her. "If this makes any sense to you..."

Hermione grabbed the book and studied it. "Yes, well some of it. I know I've seen those runes." She pointed to a section of the page. "And these have certain markings I know." She pointed to a different section. "With the right books I could figure out these." She decided.

"What books?"

"I've got most of them here..." She said distractedly, making notes on certain markings.

Tom smiled slightly and got up to find any more books on runes that might help. When he got back Hermione hadn't moved and gave no indication she'd even noticed his absence. He sat next to her this time and dropped the new books on the table in front of them. Hermione instantly grabbed them, and sorted them into piles. Tom was sure she had some organisation for them, but he didn't see it. Hermione noticed him looking and explained, "This pile is for the books I'll need now. This one is for books I'll need later. And this one is for books I may or may not need."

Tom nodded. "Efficient."

"I like to be. Now look, this here is the rune for water..." And on it went. Hermione explained some runes and their markings, trying to get Tom to understand how they were translated. He could sort of see what she saying. They spent ages discussing translations and by the end Tom's brainbrain felt like it had turned into soup.

"Why are you helping me?" Tom asked.

"Because you need help. I help Harry and Ron with their homework too." She added with a smile, "Besides, I'll have to do this in my 5th year, it could be helpful to be prepared."

Tom smiled. "Alright. But I've had enough of this for today. It's the weekend now. I want to do something I'm actually good at."

"And what are you good at?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Music." Tom answered without hesistation.

"You play an instrument?" Hermione asked.

"You sound surprised? I'm almost offended." Tom said.

"Just- Didn't know you could play."

"In all fairness there's not much you know about me."

"What kind of music?" Hermione asked.

"You are curious aren't you?" Tom said, starting to get annoyed.

"I didn't mean to push you. Am I intruding?" Hermione apologised hurriedly.

"It's fine. I just don't want to talk about music." Tom explained.

Hermione looked apologetic as she said, "Oh, ok. Well we can meet back here tomorrow to study if you want. We pribably should be going down to dinner soon anyway."

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." Tom said, packing his books into his bags as Hermione did the same.

"I'll put these away." Tom said gesturing the books he'd grabbed on Ancient Runes. "I'll see you tomorrow." And they parted ways.

Tom walked down the aisle to put away the books and when he got there he leant against the shelf. He sighed. Then he turned in his heel and left the library. He made his way to his dormitory. He'd miss dinner but he decided that didn't matter right now.

The dormitory was abandoned, everyone else was making their way to the Great Hall. He opened his trunk and dug to the bottom to pull out an ordinary looking diary. It was black and when he opened the pages were mostly blank. Each page had a heading and nothing else. He turned the pages; unsure which one he wanted. In the middle of the book was a page titled 'Fall'. Tom grabbed his wand and pointed it at the page, whispering, "Fall."

The recording played. Tom sank to the floor as he listened to Noelle's voice singing his song. He remembered writing it. He remembered recording it in an abandoned classroom and embedding it in the diary.

Tears started to form in his eyes but he wiped them away. When the song ended he turned the page for a different song. He pointed his wand, and his breath hitched when he read the title. The one song Noelle had written. This time when the song played he couldn't stop his tears from falling.

XXXXXXXX

On Sunday afternoon, Tom and Hermione made their way to the library together. As they were making their way up the staircase, Hermione's bag ripped open and her books fell down the stairs. Hermione went to rush after them but the staircase moved away, and she was stranded at the top.

Tom tried to comfort the distraught girl, saying that her books would be fine, but he didn't get very far before someone interrupted.

"Comforting a mudblood. Not very Slytherin of you Riddle." Came a sneering voice, as Avery walked towards them."

"What part is against the Slytherin values?" Tom asked, trying his best to remain calm. "As I understand it, Slytherin valued cunning not cruelty."

"He also valued blood purity. As any self-respecting wizard would." Avery replied.

"Or just a stupid one." Tom said flatly.

Avery didn't seem to appreciate the sentiment as he brought his wand up from where he was holding it as his side to aim to Tom's face.

"It's time you learned how things work around here. I don't care how things were run in Beaxbatons, but here we care about the sanctity of magic. And creatures like her don't belong here." He spat turning his wand on Hermione.

Avery's curse didn't hit its target though, as Tom blocked it with his own shield charm.

"If you have to prove your superiority by cursing someone who's younger than you, you aren't superior in any way." Tom said, not holding back his anger in any way.

"So you don't just cavort with mudbloods, but you protect them as well. You're nothing but a blood traitor!" Avery yelled as he shot another curse at Tom.

Tom deflected this one just as easily, and sent back one of his own. Avery wasn't completely incompetent however and got up a shield charm in time. The duel continued with each trying to get the upper hand, however Tom was the only one whose curses hit their target. Avery didn't give up though.

"Think a few hexes will make me fear you? Can't even duel like a real Slytherin!" Avery shouted over the spells before casting, "FLAGRANTE."

Tom deflected this curse also, and decided he was over reductor and body-binding curses. He knew he had to watch his actions while in Hogwarts but Avery was leaving him no choice. He decided to up the ante and focused on his Dark Magic. The next curse Tom shot at Avery was black and broke right through his shield. Avery didn't even have time to yell before it hit him and he fell down screaming.

Tom walked over to him and leant down putting his wand to Avery's neck, stopping his screams but also his breath.

"Just to be clear, you are not to attack me, or Miss Granger or anyone I know ever again. Otherwise I shall have to further remove the delusion from your mind that you can actually duel with me!" Tom spat out furiously, before removing his wand and walking away allowing Avery to breathe again.

He walked up to Hermione who was tears at this point and shaking.

"It's okay." He tried to reassure her. "He won't try to hurt you again." He said more firmly, looking back at where Avery had been lying only to see him running away down the corridor.

"What- what did you do? That curse- what did- did it do?" Hermione asked.

"Flesh-eating curse." At Hermione's horrified expression he elaborated. "Sounds worse then it is. It really just works like acid, burning the opponent's skin." Seeing that Hermione still looked rather worried he continued. "He'll be fine. Madam Pomfrey will fix him up by tomorrow." Hermione seemed somewhat relieved by this. "Why do you even care, he tried to hurt you?"

Hermione's eyes lit up with anger. "Don't get me wrong, I hate people like him who think that I can't practice magic just because of my blood status. But just because he's a horrible person doesn't mean he should have his skin burned off."

Tom looked at her carefully before walking around her to the staircase that had come back around again. He walked down and gathered up her books before them to her.

Hermione seemed about to thank him but he cut in, "I'll see you in the library some other day. If you still want." Then he walked away back down the stairs before Hermione could reply.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tom was enjoying the solitude of the black lake. Since it was getting dark it was just him and the giant squid. Unfortunately that didn't last long.

"Hey, Tom." Said Harry as he sat down in the grass next to him.

"What do you want?" Tom asked.

"Hermione told me about the duel you had. I was wondering..." Harry paused and took a deep breath as though working up the nerve to say something." I was wondering if you could teach me how to duel like that."

Tom turned around. That wasn't what he'd been expecting.

"What?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"You've heard about Sirius Black right?" Harry said.

"Yeah, he was in the newspapers. Broke out of Azkaban. Why?"

"Well, he's after me." Tom couldn't stop the shock that must've showed on his face. This was not how he thought this conversation was going. "That's what everything thinks anyway. Because he was loyal to Voldemort and I defeated him, so they say he wants revenge." He said this last part carefully.

Tom didn't react to what he said, only asking who 'they' were.

"The Ministry and the professors. It's why the dementors are here. This is supposed to be where he's heading."

"What's this got to do with me teaching you how to duel?" Tom asked.

"Well if I've got a crazy convict after me as well as a Dark Lord, I think its about time I actually learned to fight." Harry said sounding agitated. "Besides, I remember facing Voldemort in my first year. It was really only luck that I escaped. I could've died down there. If I'm going to face murderers after me, then I want to he prepared."

Tom stared at Harry for a moment before he started to smile. "You know for a 13 year old, you attract a lot of trouble."

"Tell me about it." Harry scoffed.

"You realise that I used the Dark Arts to defeat Avery?" Tom enquired.

"Yes. But the way I see it, they'll be using Dark Magic too. And you said it really wasn't the magic that defined the person right?"

"Right." Tom reassured him. He looked back at the giant squid over the far side of the lake before turning back to Harry. "If you really want to know, then sure."

"Great." Harry said grinning. "How about tomorrow, seeing as its Saturday? I don't know where we could go and not get caught though." He continued scrunching up his face in thought.

"Don't you worry about that. I know exexactly where we can practice."

"You do?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. I know the perfect spot."


End file.
